


Aquatic City Girls!

by Telsiree



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, River City Girls (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anger Management, Ass-Kicking, Banter, Canon-Typical Violence, Claude von Riegan is a Little Shit, Comedy, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), Gen, Golden Deer Students as Family (Fire Emblem), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Leonie is a country girl, M/M, Orphans, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Punching, Swearing, Useless Lesbians, War Monks Are Best Class, but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:34:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 50,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26850739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Telsiree/pseuds/Telsiree
Summary: Misako and Kyokō have always looked out for each other on the rough streets of Derdriu since as long as they can remember.  Sure, they might be orphans, but their wise old dojo master Abobo has done his best to give the wild pair a modicum of culture and discipline.  While strolling the docks with their signature knucks and kanabō, they see a brown skinned youth in fancy yellow clothing being bullied by the local press gang.  More than anything else, Misako and Kyokō hate bullies...because that’s THEIR job!The youth’s name happens to be Claude von Riegan…Soon the Garreg Mach Officer's Academy will have two new commoner students:  The Aquatic City Girls!
Relationships: Catherine/Shamir Nevrand, Hilda Valentine Goneril & Lysithea von Ordelia, Kyoko & Felix, Kyōko/Misako (River City Girls), Marianne von Edmund/Leonie Pinelli, Misako & Caspar
Comments: 15
Kudos: 5





	1. Accidental Applications

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Runeless](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runeless/gifts).



> "I should really work on my other AUs..."
> 
> *starts new AU*
> 
> Ahh, well, I learned from the best. I've got some buffer space on this one, though. 21k words in 3 days, back to my old form. Gonna keep it up as long as I can.
> 
> So if you're totes confused, don't be! Misako and Kyoko are from the Kunio-kun universe on which the River City games are based, and these particular characterizations are from the recent game River City Girls. Basically, they're two besties who are female grapplers/berserkers. Misako is a bit of a sarcastic rage monster who hides the feels/self-esteem issues deep, and Kyoko is a bit of a ditzy kleptomaniac who is much smarter than she lets on.
> 
> Ignatz and Raphael drowned in a tragic boating accident with Frodo's parents and Uncle Ben and every Fire Emblem dad. Just kidding. In this AU Raphael decided to become a wandering mercenary, and Ignatz is a famous artist. So we may see them later. This also sets us up with a House with seven women counting Byleth. The Dunkings on Lorenz will be long and they will be eternal.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get introduced to our ass-kicking duo in the mean streets of Derdriu at night, where they save a young noble from a dire fate.

Chapter 1

Accidental Applications

  
  


“Come onnn, Misako!” whined Kyokō, groaning as she dragged her feet along the dark cobblestones. “We’re not going to find anyone being robbed or bullied tonight! Let’s just go hoooome!”

Misako gritted her teeth and muttered, “Well we _won’t_ if you keep whining like the loudest baby in Fódlan! Now keep quiet, Kyokō! Just a few more blocks, okay?”

The other girl gave a groaning sigh and said, “Fine…” which earned a stern glare from Misako. The flame haired Kyokō stuck her tongue out at her friend, but sniffed and straightened her stance and weapon.

They were soon in luck. A gaggle of drunken sailors on shore leave staggered out of the dim tavern, laughing and singing as they had finished their most recent carouse. One of the men peered at the young girls in the streetlights and said loudly, “Hey cuties! Feeling frisky tonight?”

Misako’s eyes savagely brightened under her dark bangs and she lifted her hands, revealing the spiked gauntlets on her wrists and shifting to the balls of her feet. Kyokō giggled beside her and twirled her kanabō up in the air, then caught it and hefted it easily on one shoulder. “Hey boys! Master Abobo said we needed extra practice, so we’re up for it if you are!”

“Master A-who-who?” laughed another man. 

“Must be their pimp!” yelled the third.

“Yeah, we’ll give you girls practice all right…” slurred the first, reaching for Misako’s chest.

The first sailor huffed as Misako’s right fist swung up into his solar plexus, her left gripping his clothing and twisting into a shoulder throw. The man sailed high behind her, landing with a crash, too stunned to even groan. Misako was already turning her head towards the other two with a dark smile.

The other two sailors yelled in alarm and moved to attack. Kyokō pirouetted at the last second from her attacker, the edge of her spiked club in a two fisted grip leading into her assailant’s shoulder. An audible crack and scream of pain echoed through the dark streets of Derdriu.

The other man was trying to box with Misako, who simply dodged or deflected any drunken blows, before another thunk echoed on the man’s head and he fell, senseless. Her friend smirked back at her, already inspecting her kanabō. With a muttered, “Eww,” Kyokō was quickly wiping off the bits of blood and hair on the sailor’s uniform, ignoring the man groaning in pain behind her.

“I totally had him,” glared Misako with a huff.

“Yeah, um, you totally did not,” said Kyokō indifferently

“Did too.”

“Did not.”

“Uh-huh!”

“Nuh-HUH!”

The two girls glared each other down, red eyes into blue, teeth bared and seemingly almost seconds from a fight. Then they burst into riotous laughter, giving each other high-fives and hip bumps.

“What’s your problem you crazy bitches?!” moaned the man with the broken humerus behind Kyokō. 

She swung a casual booted heel back behind her into his nose, causing another yell of pain. Satisfied they were all knocked out, Kyokō quickly patted them all down and emptied their pockets into her own.

“See!?” said Misako with a grin, swinging an arm around her best friend’s shoulders as they walked down the streets. “I _told_ you! Didn’t I? And boom! Some guys needing to be taught a lesson show right up!”

“And we help the economy too! We keep their gold and they keep the local Churches and hospices in business!” said Kyokō brightly.

“Exactly!”

Skipping down the dark streets and reeking piers, the girls roamed up and down the waterfront, all locals giving them a broad berth. They had just reached the warehouse district, where the street lights and lanterns became nearly non-existent. Kyokō stopped skipping and reined in Misako. “Um, Misako? It’s kinda dark around here...and there’s no moon tonight…”

“So we just practice blind-fighting! Master Abobo has taught us that!” said Misako with a scoff.

“Not...a great deal of it…”

Sensing her friend’s desire for caution, Misako slowed their steps and they soon stayed to the shadows, evading light sources and straining to hear noises over the crashing slaps of the tides, the creaking of ships tied to dock, and the omnipresent squeaking of rats. They patrolled the perimeter of the warehouse district, finding nothing but orphans, drunks, and transients huddled next to each other for warmth. Kyokō shook her head in pity at the sights, and Misako just tugged her hand to walk past them.

Soon, Kyokō rested a gentle hand on Misako’s shoulder. “It’s late. We need to head back to the dojo.”

Sighing, her friend nodded and said, “Guess you’re right…”

“UM...HELP!? HELP!!” rang a young man’s voice in the night.

Indistinct grunts and voices were heard after it, just a block ahead.

Kyokō and Misako leaned into a run towards the sounds.

They came upon a blind alley, dimly lit by a single lamppost. Several large men were beating on a young man dressed in gaudy yellow, who was trying to gamely fight back but losing badly.

“Hey buttholes! The Aquatic City Girls are here!” shouted Misako, rising her fists.

“Yeah, if you like, you know, want to live? You’d better listen to my friend and leave that poor guy alone,” sang Kyokō in a bright voice.

Five large men in press gang uniforms turned at their noise. Cutlasses were unsheathed with the scrape of steel.

“Uh, Misako? They all have swords…” whispered Kyokō urgently.

Misako growled and grabbed a nearby barrel. “Oh yeah?” she grunted with the strain, lifting it overhead. “Well we have...BARRELS!” she screamed, throwing the large mass at the hesitating men. It flew down the middle of the alley. The men yelled and moved to hug the walls, although it clipped two of them and they went down as the barrel landed with a crash.

Kyokō was already running behind it, swiping one man’s sword aside and quickly cracking her kanabō into the wrist. He screamed and dropped the weapon, but Kyokō soon had to block and parry swipes from another sword aimed at her.

Jumping into the melee, Misako blocked a slash aimed at Kyokō’s back on her right glove, hissing at the bruising impact but already sweeping the weapon aside and down with her arm. A swift left punch to the right elbow disarmed her own opponent, and a quick shove moved him aside to clear an avenue for the rest. One man was still on his hands and knees, and a fast kick to the temple left him unconscious. The last staggered to his feet and attacked with a yell.

Kyokō finally moved her opponent’s cutlass up and high, and she jumped near to knee him in the groin. The man gamely tried to slash the sabre down through the pain, but it was easily blocked and with a lithe turn and whack to the man’s neck, he was out of the fight. The other man with the broken wrist tried to attack her with his sword in his other hand. Kyokō sighed with an eye roll and broke the other one, causing another howl of pain.

The last tried to thrust his meaty fist at a grinning Miasko, but after a quick upward block and two more punches, it was all over.

The girls panted for breath in the aftermath of the terrifying exertion, shivering a little from the stress of real combat. They quickly incapacitated their foes with kicks and stomps and disarmed them completely, throwing their swords and any other weapons far out of reach back up the street. Again, Kyokō fished any extra coin out of the men’s pockets. Once done, they still had time for one beaming fist bump as they approached the young man dressed in yellow. He was slumped in a corner of the alley, fortunately having avoided Misako’s barrel throw.

“Oh ye gods...my aching head…” he moaned on the ground, a hand clutching his dark hair. 

“You okay mister? Kyokō inquired sweetly, leaning over him with her bat slung over her shoulders. “Can you stand up?”

“What’s a kid like you doing out here all alone?” sniffed Misako, folding her arms.

“Uh...I think so? Lemme try…” he grunted as he rose to his knees and promptly collapsed backwards against the alley wall. “Woo, nope! Still woozy! You four girls are great, you know that?”

“Fuckin’ Seiros, Kyokō. They broke his brain…” Misako groaned.

“Oh man! I hope not...I kinda need that to like, um, live my dream and stuff…” sighed the man, or more boy, as he slumped down and his head fell to his chest.

“C’mon, Misako. Let’s help him out of here…”

The two girls dragged the boy out into the light, where Misako propped him up against another barrel, trying to hold his neck steady. Peering at his features, Kyokō snickered, “Hey, if it wasn’t for all the swelling and bruises, he’d be kinda cute!” She flicked the half-braid dangling by his face.

“Kinda…” grunted Misako, lightly slapping his face and opening eyelids, with no response. “Hey, did you bring any vulneraries, Kyokō?”

“Um...oh wait! Yeah, one or two, I think…”

The medicine was handed over and administered, and the young man suddenly inhaled sharply and jerked awake, with bright green eyes focusing on his rescuers, two girls dressed in dark green gis and kyahans, with black belts around their waists. “Um..,hi! Who are you girls again?” he ventured.

“Ugh,” snorted Misako, standing up. “We’re the people who just saved your dumb ass.”

“Yup yup!” smiled Kyokō. “I’m Kyokō, and my scowly friend here is Misako! We’re the Aquatic City Girls!”

The young man smiled as he was pulled to his feet, looking much better. “Huh...well I’m sorry, I’m new in town. I was trying to explore the city a little, but must’ve taken a wrong turn…”

“That’s okay! We’re here to beat up anyone who tries to be a bully,” said Kyokō sympathetically.

“Yeah, why were those guys picking on you? Just ‘cause you look Almyran?” wondered Misako.

“Well, they were probably more interested in my heavy purse than my skin, but I’m sure it didn’t help,” said the young man smoothly.

“Pfft. Stupid,” muttered Misako. “You got targeted just because you’re different. You need to be more careful.”

“Yeah, our dojo Master is Almyran, and we don’t give a flip! We think all those snobby Cresty noblely attitudes are as dumb as a Faerghus Knight!” exclaimed Kyokō. She patted the young man’s shoulder, dusting him off. “So don’t feel bad. I think you look very handsome!”

“Kyokō…” growled Miasko warningly under her breath. “Hand him back his purse.”

“Oops, sorry about that! Heh heh...force of habit on the streets, you understand,” Kyokō said sheepishly, handing back the handsome stranger his money pouch.

“No, no, it’s okay! I’m not offended at all,” smiled the man, quickly securing his belongings and now looking at them with interest. “So you learned those moves from an Almyran martial arts master? I didn’t know there was one here in Derdriu!”

“Well we’d love to introduce you, but,” Kyokō let out an enormous yawn and sighed, “it is getting kinda late…”

“Yeah, so, you’re welcome and such,” agreed Misako, collecting the fallen sabres on the ground and sticking two in her belt, giving two to Kyokō and holding one out to the youth. “Here. Might help defend yourself on the way home.”

“Ah, thanks…!” he smiled, holding the proffered sword loosely in his hand, but at least he looked like he could use one. “This might have made life easier during a night on the town, right?”

“Sure, whatever. We’re gonna sell the others. Shit blades, but we can use the coin,” shrugged Misako. “See ya, Mr. Guy-Who-Needed-Saving.” The two girls turned to stroll back down the streets to the piers.

A quick tap of boots indicated the man caught up with them, easily inserting himself in the middle between the girls. “Hey, this might sound completely incompetent and embarrassing, but do you girls mind escorting me home tonight? I’m afraid I might just get lost again, and you two seem like you know your way around town.”

“Nah, that sounds smart actually. Where ya live?” asked Misako with a shrug.

“Ah...the Noble Quarter.”

“Ohhhh, the Noble district! Do you work there or something?” said Kyokō with a smile.

“Yeah, my grandpa got me a job there not too long ago,” grinned the youth with an emerald wink. “I owe you girls a great deal, and I’d hate to not compensate you for my life. I do consider it to be of some value, after all.”

“Money’s always nice,” said Misako with a greedy glint in her eye.

The trio wound through the dark and dim streets, with Misako and Kyokō unerringly directing the youth to the Noble Quarter of the city, where manors and mansions and shops crowded high above them in three stories or more. The only people they encountered on the early morning streets were patrolling guardsmen, but they simply nodded at the group and marched past.

“Huh, that’s weird,” pondered Kyokō. “The guards usually hassle us and try to chase us out of here.”

“Maybe it’s the fact we’re carrying more weapons than an army,” shrugged Misako. The young man smiled but said nothing.

Soon, they were standing outside the brightly lit Grand Palace of the Alliance, the home of Duke Riegan and the center of government for the Leicester Alliance.

“Whoa, your grandpa got you a job here? Pree-ty swank-ey!” whistled Kyokō, admiring the view.

“Yeah, well, you’re safe now. What’s your name, so we know who to ask for our reward?” said Misako, holding out her hand for a shake.

He shook both their hands. “Oh, right, that never came up, did it? Name’s Claude! Just ask the guards at the gate for me anytime. I’ll be sure to let them know you’re coming.” He smiled again and bowed deeply. “Thank you for saving my life once again, Misako and Kyokō. Hopefully we’ll see each other soon!” With another roguish wink and wave, the yellow garbed young man was marching up the stairs to the palace, the guards nodding at him in recognition.

“Claude, huh? Cutey Claude! I guess if he’s got a job here, he must be decently stacked right?” said Kyokō.

“I guess so. Huh. Claude. That’s a familiar name, I think I’ve heard it somewhere before,” thought Misako, before she gave a yawn of her own. “I’m beat, Kyokō. Let’s get outta of this stuck-up place.”

“Back to the daily grind tomorrow, huh?” sighed Kyokō. 

“Ugh, thanks for the reminder,” moaned Misako. They duo trudged home.

* * *

  
  


The sun rose over the many streets of Derdriu, but the city was already bustling with traders and merchants and shoppers.

Inside a modest dojo in the Riverside Quarter, a shoji screen door slid aside with a bang, and a man-mountain of muscle strode inside the room. “Good MORNING, girls!” he announced with a huge barking laugh.

Misako and Kyokō lept from the mats, both trying to yawn, rub their eyes, and bow at the same time. “Good morning Master Abobo,” they chanted in tired unison.

“Late night?” grinned the dark skinned bald man. “Come break your fast, and maybe you can tell me all about it!”

Perking up instantly at the thought of food, the girls dashed to their eating places and were soon devouring everything in sight. Their master sat cross legged at the head of the table with a thud that shook the foundations. 

“So? How many did you get?” he said, rubbing his beard.

“Eight!” announced Kyokō, slurping a mouthful of noodles.

“Not bad at all! And some of them were armed? I saw those swords you dropped by my door.”

“Five armed, three unarmed,” grunted Miasko as she wolfed down her food. “And I only bruised my wrist. See?” she proudly rolled up her sleeve and displayed the ugly yellow and purple bruise.

Their master leaned forward. “Tell me all about it.” 

Between bites, the girls recounted their nightly patrol, describing with various sound effects their encounter with the three sailors and the five thugs, as well as the guy they happened to save. 

“Claude, eh? He calls himself Claude? And he said he had a job at the Grand Palace?” said Master Abobo thoughtfully.

“Seemed decent,” said Misako, leaning back with a contented sigh. “Although if he keeps walking around the piers at night all alone without a weapon, he’s too stupid to live.”

“We had to waste my vulnerary on him,” whined Kyokō. “I’m gonna need some more, Master.”

“I think that kid will compensate you just fine, ladies. I’m sure his job pays very well,” said their Master with another loud laugh. “Now clean up, and we’ll get started on your lessons before the rest of the students show up. If you do it well with no complaining, you can go this evening and claim your reward.”

“Yes, Master,” the girls chanted again, and they eagerly dashed off to their chores.

* * *

After a long day of classroom lessons, teaching the younger students, and finally cleaning the dojo again, the girls had the chance to walk back to the Noble District. For their dinner Misako distracted a street food vendor while Kyokō swiped several chicken skewers from the cart. Laughing afterwards and sharing the bounty, they tore into their meal that disappeared in record time.

“So didn’t you think Master Abobo was acting weird? It was like he knew who this Claude guy is,” said Misako, using a broken skewer point to clean her teeth.

Kyokō shrugged as she finished her last piece, barely chewing as it went down. “Maybe they were friends in Almyra or something.” 

The girls soon arrived at the Palace gates, where the guards glowered at them suspiciously until they asked to see Claude.

“I don’t believe Lord Claude wants anything to do with a pair of street girls,” sneered a guard dismissively, holding his pike out threateningly.

“Could you not point that at our faces? Thank you!” smiled Kyokō, bouncing her kanabō on her shoulder.

“Look, just tell Lord Claude whoever-he-is to come down here. Tell him Misako and Kyokō are here to claim their reward,” said Miasko, bored with the situation.

The other guard gave a scoffing laugh. “Lord Claude has no need to pay whores who’re too stupid to get payment up front…”

“WHORES?!” screamed Miasko in rage. With an angry snarl, she ripped the pike out of the first guard’s hands and quickly thrust the blunt end into his face, breaking teeth.

“Here we go again,” groaned Kyokō, quickly using her kanabō to disarm and drop the second guard. Cries of alarm were heard from the steps and doors at the Palace, and an even dozen more guards rushed down to the ceremonial gates.

Misako and Kyokō looked at each other, then grinned.

Soon, the commotion was enough to draw a cheering crowd of locals, as the teenage duo bashed, kicked, punched, and disarmed the barrack-rats with ease, with swords and pikes flying everywhere, along with the occasional body of a wailing guard. Truth be told, the girls were somewhat disappointed by the quality of their opponents, not realizing that professional and well-trained soldiers were often out in the field or in actual positions of responsibility. These Palace Guards could open doors for nobles and stand on their feet for twelve straight hours, but saw little action and barely remembered their basic training.

Eventually, however, the crowd and combat drew the attention of the Night Watch, men who did see action and could handle almost any situation. Several patrols roughly pushed past the crowd, and veterans drew swords or leveled heavy crossbows at the duo. Grimacing at their situation, Misako and Kyokō disarmed themselves and raised their hands high. No amount of martial arts training could let you dodge a crossbow bolt at close range, and crossbow bolts tended to go through their targets, not just lodge inside of them.

Drawn by the ruckus, several other important looking men came rushing down the stairs of the Palace, including Claude. The girls relaxed a bit at his approach, causing the Head Sheriff to scream “Halt!” once more.

“What is the meaning of this?” demanded a slim but distinguished looking man in gold trimmed servant’s attire.

“We were just here to see Claude!” protested Misako indignantly. “It’s not our fault these stupid reject guards called us whores!”

“Yeah, they were completely rude! We were just trying to get our reward!” added Kyokō.

The man drew himself up. “I am the Palace Butler, and I highly doubt Lord Riegan would have anything to do with such violent criminals…”

“Easy, easy, Charles,” said Claude with a wave, cutting off the man in mid speech. “These are just my good friends Misako and Kyokō, and they saved my life last night.” He strolled within arm’s length of the girls, and the militia reluctantly lowered their weapons as he carelessly moved into the field of fire.

“My young Lord Duke,” said the man called Charles severely. “What precisely do you mean?”

“I’m saying that our poor Palace guardsmen have insulted my two good friends,” said Lord Claude, smiling at the two gaping girls, whose jaws were hanging wide open at the young man. “And I think if two young teenage girls can beat up the flower of the Leicester Alliance, then we definitely have some openings to fill, don’t you?” he said with a dismissive wave at the groaning pile of guards.

The pompous butler drew himself up. “That may be, my young Lord Duke,” he said stiffly. “But they still must be punished for assault and resisting arrest…”

“Oh, you know what I forgot? My reward to them also included a Duke’s pardon to each of them! And since this included all crimes up until the reception of said pardon!” smiled Claude, who reached into a pouch and produced two scrolls. “So! Here we go! Two pardons, which free them from any and all crimes committed in the Leicester Alliance!” he grinned as he handed them over to the still-awed Misako and Kyokō.

“Very well, my _young_ Lord Duke. I will inform your Lord Grandfather of your actions at once, so he may make notes in the appropriate Council records,” sniffed Charles, who then wheeled with his cortege of fellow household staff behind him.

Motioning them to grab their weapons, Claude drew the girls quickly aside and away from the majority of the dispersing crowd, where he leaned back on the gilded gate of the Palace grounds. “Man, you girls aren’t making life easy for me,” he sighed.

“Easy?!” Misako nearly shouted, then calmed down as Kyokō shushed her. “Why didn’t you tell us you were the Duke’s grandson?” she whispered crossly.

“I told you my name,” grumbled Claude defensively.

“Yeah, but Claude’s a pretty common name,” said Kyokō innocently, twirling her ponytail.

“A general, all-purpose moniker, I know, I know,” Claude rolled his eyes and sighed again. Lowering his voice, he said, “Listen. Those scrolls I gave you also include your reward. It includes a writ you can take to any money changing house in Derdriu. They’ll honor the Duke’s seal and give you your gold.”

“How much?” urged Misako.

“Well, there’s two of you, so I thought twenty thousand was an appropriate amount for saving the future leader of the Alliance.”

The girls’ eyes bulged. They were silent.

“Is...that enough?” Claude asked with some uncertainty. “I mean, you guys are pretty skilled for your age, and I just thought…”

“Twenty thou..sand?” drooled Misako.

“TWENTY THOUSAND!!” screamed Kyokō, jumping up with a cheer. Soon the girls were leaping and yelling like madwomen, drawing curious eyes from every corner of the street, as Claude covered his face with his hands.

* * *

“MASTER ABOBO!!” screamed the girls as they entered the dojo.

“Wha-?!” their master barely had time to look up before he was fairly team tackled, falling back with a crash on the training mat.

“What’s this about?!” demanded their Master.

“We saved the Duke’s grandson!” yelled Misako in his ear.

“He gave us twenty thooooousand gold!!” screamed Kyokō with stars in her eyes. The two leapt up and started dancing arm in arm, spinning in wild circles and laughing.

“QUIET!” roared their Master, standing up tall and looming over the two cadets, in a voice that commanded instant obedience.

Instantly the two fell silent and bowed low in apology. “Sorry, Master,” muttered Misako.

“Just excited, Master,” said Kyokō, a giggle still bubbling through.

“Then let us sit, and think about what this means for your futures,” said the huge man, sitting at the table and indicating the girls to their seats. They nodded and bowed their heads, still trembling in excitement.

“Now, that is a hefty sum indeed,” murmured Abobo, nodding gently towards each of the girls, pouring tea into each of their cups. “A worthy reward for your training. You have proven to be diligent and loyal students for the past eight years, ever since I raised you up from the streets.”

“And you’ve been so nice to us, Master,” said Kyokō with a happy grin.

“And you taught us how to kick ass, too!” said Misako with a clenched fist.

Abobo clapped his giant hands, demanding silence. As the sound echoed and finally faded, he nodded back to each with a smile on his craggy face. “It has been my great joy to do so, for your parents were not willing--or unable--to care for you themselves. Each of you is a daughter of my heart. But now that you are both women of means,” he said shrewdly, squinting at them. “We must decide on how to best invest your earnings.”

“We could just live life on Easy Street!” said Kyokō cheerfully

“Kyokō, that’s not a real place…” grumbled Misako.

“True, you could both live in modest comfort for the rest of your days on such a sum. But I thought you both wanted to become either mercenaries, or open your own dojo one day and take on new students,” their Master said mildly, sipping his tea.

Misako and Kyokō looked speculatively at each other. “I guess the money could make any of that much easier?” wondered Misako.

“Maybe we could make bank as traders? Or merchants?” figured Kyokō.

“All worthy options, but perhaps a waste of your talents and training,” nodded their Master. “But perhaps there is yet an option you have not considered. You have the favor of a noble. Not just a noble, but the premiere son of the mightiest House of the Alliance. With your reward, and his patronage, you could afford the tuition to apply to Garreg Mach Academy!”

“Garreg Mach…?” chorused the girls.

“Isn’t it full of bratty nobles?” said Misako bluntly.

“And is like, really expensive?” pouted Kyokō, imaging their twenty thousand gold flying away into money heaven.

“Ah, but Garreg Mach has the best fighting teachers in all of Fódlan!” grinned Abobo. “You girls have come far, but you are nearing the limits of what I may teach you. I have trained you well in the martial arts and some simple weapons, but Garreg Mach may teach you archery, fencing, lancework, horsemanship, or even…” he paused dramatically, “flying or magic!”

“Magic…” whispered Kyokō, seeing herself flinging fireballs.

“Flying…” said Misako, imaging herself on the back of a wyvern. 

Their old master smiled in satisfaction, pleased that he had caught their interest. “It is an option to consider. Do not be too hasty in your decisions, but guard those scrolls with your lives! We will give the matter some time and thought, then you may each decide on your course.”

* * *

They waited until they heard their Master’s thunderous snores in the far corner of the dojo, too excited to sleep.

“Whaddya think, Kay?” said Misako, leaning on an elbow on their mats, pressed side by side.

Kyokō stared up at the ceiling. “I dunno,” she said slowly. “We’d lose out on all that gold...but we’d learn so much more--! It’s really tempting, to be honest, Em.”

Throwing her head back down on her own mat, Misako nodded. “Yeah, I mean, if we did anything else, we’d kinda just be settling down right? We’re just eighteen, we don’t need to settle yet if we don’t wanna.”

“But I bet it’ll be really, really hard too,” whispered Kyokō in a whine. “I bet there’s tests and writing and reading and ugh! Probably math!”

“Math?!” groaned Misako, covering her face with her pillow in despair. “That’s it. Kill me now.”

A pause. “Then again...imagine becoming some fancy sorceress who could just blast a bandit like that,” said Kyokō as she snapped her fingers and snickered evilly.

Despite herself, Misako got caught up in her excitement. “Or learn how to heal wounds! We wouldn’t have to buy vulneraries anymore! I’ve heard about super good martial artists who become these things called war monks. They can kick ass all day and heal or blast anybody they want!” whispered Misako, peeking from underneath her pillow.

“We really should save the money,” said Kyokō solemnly.

“We really should,” nodded Misako severely.

“But...you could get a chance to kick all sorts of fancy noble ass,” grinned Kyokō with a sly wink.

“And you could get a chance to date all sorts of fancy noble ass,” snickered Misako.

An odd expression crossed Kyokō’s face, but then she smiled brightly. “I could, couldn’t I?”

“Let’s do it,” whispered Misako excitedly.

“Let’s do it!” agreed Kyokō back.

“Aquatic City Girls forever!” they cheered quietly, holding hands in the dark.

* * *

They waited a week, per their Master’s instructions, but then bowed and thanked him for his generosity and charity, saying that they had made the decision to attend Garreg Mach, promising him whatever left of their reward could go to him and the dojo. He beamed with tears running down his face and swept both girls up in a bruising hug. That evening, Misako and Kyokō presented themselves at the Ducal Palace, receiving a much more warm welcome than previously from the newly hired guards. The Duke’s Heir was sent for immediately.

“Well, well, this is a welcome surprise,” grinned Claude amicably as he trotted down the Palace steps, greeting Misako and Kyokō in turn. “What brings the Aquatic City Girls to my doorstep? No problems with the pardons or cheques I hope?”

“Oh none at all, Mister Duke Sir,” nodded Kyokō, batting her eyelashes.

“So um, yeah, what Kyokō said,” said Misako, scuffing her boot on the ground. She looked up. “Look, I know you did a lot for us, and we really appreciate it and all, but our Master suggested you could get us one more thing.”

“And we could use the money you gave us to pay for it!” added Kyokō.

“Kyokō, let me do the talking…” muttered Misako at her abashed companion. Clearing her throat, she straightened and said, “That is, um, yeah, we’d like to ask your permission to become Officer Candidates.”

Claude’s eyebrows rose. “Officer Candidates?”

“At Garreg Mach Academy, duh!” chirped Kyokō, who then wilted under Misako’s stare.

Claude rubbed his neck. “Well, the new semester’s more than six months away...but I’ll be joining myself in the spring of next year,” he said. “You would be part of the Golden Deer House, and I’ll probably be your House Leader...but I’m not certain if there’s two positions available, to be perfectly honest.”

“Please, Claudie-poo?” Kyokō said coquettishly.

“Kyokō…” growled Misako, then tiredly shook her head. Putting a gauntlet to her hip, she made her pitch. “Look, you _know_ how good we are. And I know we’re not fancy or super smart or whatever. But wouldn’t a guy like you, I dunno, need bodyguards or something? Someone to watch your back at school?”

Kyokō nodded eagerly and butted in again. “I mean, lots of nobles are gonna pick on you, right? Just because you’re different! But the two of us, we don’t care! We’re just commoners! We see guys like you everyday!”

“That’s right!” agreed Misako, forgetting to admonish Kyokō.

Claude was silent for a long moment, a calculating expression on his face as he considered both of them. Then he grinned. “I must be the luckiest noble in Fódlan, to have been rescued by a pair like you two. Okay, I’m gonna look into it. If there’s spots available, I’ll let you girls know you’re in.”

“You will?” the pair chorused, fairly hopping up and down.

“You bet. You have my word as a noble of Fódlan,” said Claude with a smirk, holding out his hand.

He had to hold it out for quite a while, sweat drops beading down his face, as Misako and Kyokō were too busy hugging each other and yelling loud war whoops.

* * *

In less than a week, Claude sent word to the dojo that there were indeed two positions available in the Golden Deer House. With a new goal in mind, the months passed quickly, with Claude and Abobo doing their best to catch Misako and Kyokō up to speed on the lessons they would need to thrive at Garreg Mach. The tuition fee for each candidate was 8,000 gold each, which left 4,000 gold left from their reward. In addition there was roughly a thousand gold they had accumulated for themselves from beating up (and then robbing) the various thugs of Derdriu’s underworld. However, that remaining five thousand gold very quickly was soon whittled away, as the girls were busy with intensive cram sessions of tactics and strategy and logistics, practicing with various weapon masters across the city, learning the basics of Fodlan’s history, militaries, and geography, and to each girls’ mutual horror, the dreaded etiquette lessons. Abobo kindly tried to scale back their duties at the dojo, and their late night vigilante escapades came to a reluctant close.

Fortunately, Misako and Kyokō soon were frequent guests at the Grand Ducal Palace, being escorted by a reluctant Charles to Claude’s presence where they could practice skills such as archery and horseback riding for the first time in their lives. Claude was very patient in teaching each of his new students, and in return they taught him Abobo’s brand of martial arts, and they all found they were fairly equal in axeplay, the principles of wielding a war club like a kanabō being very similar.

Occasionally, the girls met other future classmates when Claude found time to introduce them between Alliance Roundtable meetings. The future Lord Gloucester immediately and permanently failed to impress either Misako and Kyokō, and Claude was soon turning red from suppressed laughter as the pair made elaborate rude gestures whenever the tall noble’s back was turned. They later met a cute and adorable kid named Lysithea, which nearly led to a fatal incident at the Palace with Misako and Kyokō having to dodge massive explosions. This was later laughed off to the palace staff as a “training mishap,” and both commoner girls bowed in instant respect to the short albino afterwards, which was magnanimously accepted. Lastly they met a shy girl in the stables named Marianne, who didn’t really speak to them (which they considered rude), but she showed the two street girls how to perform stable duties and some tricks to approach and calm horses, which they grudgingly appreciated.

Soon, the date of the 25th of Lone Moon in Imperial Year 1180 approached, the date of their departure to the Monastery. Both girls found them hiding sniffles as they stood in their starched and clean academy uniforms in the dojo, their home for the past eight years, their meager belongings packed in duffel bags beside their feet.

“Good-bye, Master Abobo. Thank you so much for seeing something worthwhile in me,” said Misako in a husky voice. If she said it any louder she might break down.

“Um, good-bye to you too, Master! I’ll miss you so much, and always be grateful for your training!” wept Kyokō, whose tears were already falling freely.

Their Master bowed to each girl in turn, three times slowly. “It is I who should be thanking you. You have given me the joy of teaching such wonderful-if sometimes overly enthusiastic-students!” he said with a proud smile, his own eyes misty.

There was a three second pause for decorum, then both girls rushed forward and hugged their Master’s massive frame, bawling into his arms while he cried himself. But soon everyone composed themselves, and the girls bowed again and left their home, leaving the Master feeling alone and old in the dojo as he went about his daily routine.

A short time later, a courier in the liverly of the Duke and two porters delivered a chest to his door. Grumbling as he paid the porters’ fee, Abobo snapped the latches and flipped open the large chest, wondering what was inside.

Gold. Hundreds of pieces of gold. Along with a note. It read:

_Good-bye Master! Thank you for everything and being so kind! We love you!_

_Enclosed is the rest of our reward from Claude. 1,866 gold pieces._

_Misako: You deserve every bit Master! Party on!_

_Kyokō: Don’t eat or drink too much!_

_Love,_

_Misako and Kyokō_

The Master smiled wistfully, already missing them. “Ah, girls,” he sighed.

* * *

“May I take your luggage, Ladies?” inquired the footman in gold and black trim. They were standing back at the gate of the Grand Duke’s Palace, waiting to board the carriage with Claude.

“Here you go! Thank you!” said Kyokō with a cheerful smile, handing off her bag.

“Sure, just put it wherever,” muttered Misako, dropping the bag and folding her arms. She was already feeling weird and restricted in these weird academy clothes, tugging at the hem of her skirt, already missing her pants. Plus it just felt strange. Noble clothes were stupid.

Kyokō leaned next to her ear and whispered, “Oh no, Misako! It’s that weirdo Marianne chick!”

“Oh Goddess, please...is she riding with us?” groaned Misako, spying Claude escorting the stiff noblewoman down the stairs of the Duke’s Palace. The blue haired girl looked ill and afraid, like a caged animal.

“Looks like it. I kinda feel sorry for her.”

“I don’t. Whoever’s that weird is weird on purpose.”

To the dismay of the footmen and the horror of the palace staff, Misako and Kyokō went ahead and unlatched the carriage door and clambored inside, claiming a bench for themselves and stretching their legs out. Claude waved off their behavior with aplomb and gently assisted, then fairly pushed, Lady Marianne von Edmund inside the carriage. He jumped in last, taking a seat next to the strange girl, ignoring that she had scrunched herself into the far corner of the seat, looking despairingly out the window. With that, their week-long journey to the Academy from Derdriu was underway.

While everyone soon gave up on engaging in any conversation with Marianne, Claude and the two commoners were soon laughing and talking, taking in the sights of Fódlan and telling stories of their training and childhoods. Claude was evasive and oblique about his youth, but he had a keen grasp of history and nobility which Misako and Kyokō soaked up eagerly, fascinated at his unique perspective and casual manners. Later, Misako and Claude got into a competition of telling increasingly raunchier and bawdier stories, turning Marianne’s face and ears brighter shades of red and sending Kyokō into fits of hysterical laughter. When they got to an inn, there was some awkwardness in ordering two private rooms, since all three girls had to room together. Misako and Kyokō shrugged and said Marianne could have a bed to herself, which the young noblewoman gratefully accepted with a meek nod. Unfortunately, her rest was often disturbed by the two street girls fighting over the covers, with multiple thuds heard through the night as they took turns shoving each other out of bed.

A few days later, Claude casually inquired about the Aquatic City Girls and how they grew up.

With some reluctance, Misako told everyone her origins, of how her father was a drunk sailor who was often absent from home, and her mother was ill and somewhat simple, increasingly unable to care for her young daughter as she grew up and ran wild in the city streets. One day, her mother died of sickness and her father simply never came home, and Master Abobo adopted her from the streets, having seen the young girl hanging about the dojo frequently, challenging his older students to fist fights. Impressed, he offered her a home and training in exchange for some simple chores and errands. Kyokō then explained her story, her normally cheerful voice somber, of how her parents were shopkeepers who got ripped off by a pawnbroker, and they were all thrown out into the streets from their home. Desperate for money, her parents tried to sell the only thing they had left: their daughter. Kyokō had screamed so loudly in horror at the prospect that it drew the attention of Master Abobo and Misako passing by, who intervened and interrupted the transaction in process. After beating up her trashy parents and the potential customer, a new adopted student was at the dojo and Misako and Kyokō became best friends for life.

“So do you two consider yourselves sisters?” asked Claude curiously.

Looking at each other, both Misako and Kyokō shrugged simultaneously. “We’ve never really put it in a box,” said Misako, looking away out the window.

“Right! We just like being besties for life! That’s always been good enough for us,” smiled Kyokō, relaxing her head on Misako’s shoulder.

Claude nodded thoughtfully, looking back and forth between them. “That’s cool! Not many people have a bestie for life,” he easily smiled back.

“I’m sorry for you two,” came a whisper.

Kyokō and Misako, along with Claude, perked up at the voice, the first thing Marianne had said in days of travel.

“What Marianne?” asked Kyokō in confusion.

“I’m sorry both of you lost your parents,” the noblewoman said, eyes downcast and hands fidgeting. “I’ve lost mine too.”

The two commoners glanced at each other, then back at Marianne. “It’s okay. We don’t feel too bad about it anymore. But um...thanks,” said Misako.

“Yeah, I’m sorry for your loss too! Um, but we appreciate you sharing. If you wanna talk about it, we’re always around,” added Kyokō earnestly.

“Oh, no, well, I’m no good at that. At...talking. So I just pray to the Goddess instead,” whispered Marianne. Sighing, she looked out the window once more, her brown eyes far away.

The other three felt appropriately chastised and embarrassed about teasing the poor noblewoman for the rest of the trip, and thereafter Misako and Kyokō tried to be much nicer to their fellow orphan, even if she was weird.

That shared rapport was soon necessary, because while Claude and the other girls became increasingly excited as they neared the Academy, the horses and carriage straining up hills into the Oghma Mountains, Marianne became increasingly distressed and restless, her reluctance to attend Garreg Mach obvious. Claude tried to help reassure her they would all be here for her in classes and training, but Marianne was soon sniffling and crying, rubbing her face and eyes hopelessly as tears streamed from her eyes. Helpless, he tried to discreetly motion to Kyokō and Misako for assistance in assuring Marianne.

Both girls looked to each other in panic, with Misako’s eyes almost pleading. Kyokō shook her head at both of them and took the plunge.

“Umm...so Marianne, you like praying to the Goddess, right?” asked Kyokō slowly.

“Um...yes,” she whispered.

“Then...it just means that if you go to Garreg Mach...uh, well, there’s Garreg Mach Cathedral, you know? And I’ve heard it’s the biggest, baddest Church in Fódlan! So whatever you’re praying for, surely the Goddess has to listen to you there!”

Marianne raised her tear-streaked face. “You...do you really think so?”

Misako shrugged and leaned back, folding her arms above her head. “I mean, it should. That’s where the Archbishop is, right? Lady Seiros’ personal head honcho for the entire continent. It’s where the Saints were all buried and the Church was founded. Maybe you just haven’t been praying in the right places.”

To everyone’s astonishment, Marianne actually smiled. “You...you may be right…”

Claude was doing that inquisitive look of his at them again. “You two call yourselves dumb, but I think you’re both selling yourselves far short. Your street smarts are going to run circles around most of the nobles you’ll meet here.”

“Well, duh,” giggled Kyokō.

“That’s why they’re nobles!” grinned Misako.

“They’ve had too much Crest incest!” the duo laughed out loud, high-fiving. Marianne blushed brightly again, although this time Claude was the one in hysterics.

Eventually after a week, they were rolling past Garreg Mach town, and could see the vast Monastery on the giant hill ahead of them. Built out of white granite and designed like the most redundant of fortresses, the Academy and Cathedral stood tall and white and proud against the clear blue sky in the background, with massive walls hundreds of feet high guarding them.

While all four students were appropriately awed, Kyokō and Misako’s jaws were hanging as they leaned out the carriage window. They had never seen anything so big in their lives.

“Holy Saint Fucking Seiros,” whispered Misako.

“Fucking Saint Cichol on a wyvern,” gaped Kyokō.

Marianne clapped her hands over her flaming ears. She started loudly humming a hymn.

Claude sighed and rubbed his temples. “Yeah, guys,” he groaned out loud. “You...ah, might want to tone that down a bit while you’re here.”

* * *


	2. First Day of School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misako and Kyoko make a new friend in line and get their dorms.
> 
> There's a slight training hall mishap.
> 
> Later, everyone has to sit down with a randomly assigned classmate. It sounds awful, but everyone makes the most of it, some much more than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly fluff, with a mid chapter dose of angst. Time to update tags!

Chapter 2

First Day of School

  
  


“Whoa,” said Misako, staring up at the tall towers and stained glass windows.

“Yeah, whoa,” said Kyokō.

“Thank you for being more appropriate inside the monastery, girls,” smiled Claude as he patted their backs. “I think we go into the reception hall straight ahead here to get our room assignments.” He swaggered past into the front doors with two footmen trailing behind with his luggage. Marianne, with a single shy glance at her classmates, nodded once to them and wandered up the stairs, flinching at every new person who came nearby. Raising her head slightly, she did not enter the front doors but instead veered to the right, entering another monastery passage near the walls, dragging her wheeled chest behind her.

Kyokō was the first to shake off their mutual stupor. “Hey, Misako, we got this, right? They won’t know what hit them,” she said, elbowing her friend.

“Fuckin’ damn right they won’t,” Misako growled. “Let’s go kick some ass.”

The Aquatic City Girls bumped fists and marched triumphantly through the front gates of Garreg Mach Academy.

Milling bodies swarmed about the room, which was cool and refreshing due to its high ceilings and decorative waterfalls. The duo was forced to wait in line of students behind a tall orange haired girl a bowl cut. Like them, this girl was unaccompanied by any staff or servants and carried her belongings in a single bag, with a quiver on her belt and a longbow strapped across her shoulders. As Kyokō set her bag down with a tired grunt, the girl looked behind her with eyes the color of her hair.

“Howdy,” smiled the archer girl. “Nice to meet you! Name’s Leonie Pinelli, from Sauin village.”

“I’m Misako and this lazybones is Kyokō,” said Misako distractedly, still staring around. 

Kyokō took a quick opportunity to stick out her tongue at her friend, then sat on her bag and waved. “Hi! We’re from Derdriu! Ignore Miss Rude here. I guess you’re a commoner too?”

“Yup,” said their fellow classmate, now grinning. “Hey, this is great! Three commoner women in one house, what’re the odds?”

“Pretty low, if you ask me,” smiled Kyokō with a wink. “Misako and I just got lucky. We saved Lord Claude on one of our nightly patrols around the city.”

Leonie gave them a mixed look of jealousy and admiration. “Saved him from what? Not choking on his own noble puke in a tavern?”

Both girls laughed out loud at that. “Nah, he was getting the shit kicked out of him,” snickered Misako. “A press gang found him and tried to ‘recruit’ him for maritime duty. So we beat up the five guys that had cornered him.”

The line slowly moved forward. “Not bad! What’re you in Garreg Mach to train for?” said Leonie in appreciation. “I’m trying to become a top-tier mercenary captain, like the Blade-Breaker.”

“We haven’t really figured out our long term goal yet,” said Kyokō, setting down her bag with another dramatic huff. “Mainly, we just want…”

“...to get better at kicking ass,” finished Misako with a smirk. Kyokō giggled and they bumped fists again.

“Oh c’mon, you can be more specific than that,” challenged Leonie, her own face excited. “What’re you guys originally trained in?”

“Martial arts,” the duo chorused. They explained how they had been adopted and trained by their Master for the past eight years, although Kyokō was proud to show off her kanabō.

“But mainly, we wanna learn magic,” nodded Kyokō eagerly.

“Or how to fly,” shrugged Misako. “Y’know, stuff that commoners like us can’t get anywhere else. We heard the best teachers in the world are here, so we’re here.”

Leonie nodded and smiled. “I think y’all have the right attitude! Hopefully we’ll get rooms near each other. See ya around!” she waved, turning to the stern green haired gentleman seated at a small desk in the hallway. She was soon done and moving off to the left.

Misako and Kyokō presented themselves before the man.

“One officer candidate at a time, please,” he frowned up at them.

The girls stared at him, then said in unison, “We’re a team.”

“We’re both on the Golden Deer,” said Misako, crossing her arms.

“And we basically grew up together, so we want adjacent rooms, please,” smiled Kyokō, her ponytail swaying.

The man looked like he was quickly getting a headache or becoming constipated. Perhaps both. He leaned forward. “Only students who are family members or grew up in the same household can qualify for adjacent rooms. Now please, as I was saying…”

“We grew up in the same household!” interjected Kyokō quickly with a bright smile.

“Oh really?” he said, glancing between the two. “Adopted sisters, is it?”

“Pfft, she’s the adopted one,” grunted Misako with a glance at her friend.

“Only because you were adopted out of pity first!” replied Kyokō with a wink.

Letting out a slow breath with closed eyes that took exactly ten seconds, the man opened his green eyes and regarded them evenly. “Fine. Name of house?”

Twin blank stares greeted him.

“Household name?” he hazarded. The blank stares continued. “Family name? Last name?” he said finally, almost pleading.

“Ohhhh, those!” nodded Misako in recognition. She looked at her friend. “Umm, it’s…?”

Shrugging, Kyokō guessed, “Ahh, Abobo?”

Misako shook her head rapidly. “No.”

“Dojo?”

“ _No.”_

“Aquatic?”

“Kyokō, I’m gonna…”

Kyokō snapped her fingers. “Wait, I’ve got it! Rivers! It’s Rivers! Misako and Kyokō Rivers are our names,” she grinned, slinging an arm around a steaming Misako. “Sisters for life!”

Red-faced, Misako shut her eyes tightly. She nodded once.

His frown now thunderous, the man scrolled down the list of students with a short quill, examining the names slowly. Slowly, his face smoothed out. Much calmer, he nodded shortly, and made two quick adjustments on the scroll. “I believe I understand the situation. Very well, you’ll both be assigned adjacent first floor rooms. There are several spots available...would you prefer to be closer to the dining hall or training hall?”

The two girls glared at one another again, this time belligerently. Kyokō said firmly, “Dining hall.”

Misako shook her head. “No way, ‘sis’,” she said sarcastically. “We want to be closer to the training hall.” She leaned all of her one inch in superior height over her friend.

Kyokō put on her most pitiful pout, but her fists were also raised. “Dining hall!”

“Training hall!”

“Dining hall!”

“Training hall--!”

* * *

Headmaster Seteth arbitrarily assigned them to be closer to the training hall. 

The girls slung their bags in a room at random, then went inside the next one. Kyokō immediately flung herself on the bed in a folded arm sulk, her blue eyes glaring at Misako.

“Eh, don’t be like that,” she smirked at Kyokō. “You got to pick out our last name, ‘’little sis.’” She stretched out, cramped from the long carriage ride, and moved to the foot of the bed. “Move it, thunder thighs, or I’m gonna sit on your legs.”

“Guess I better move them then,” Kyokō snarked back. “Don’t want your landmass ass breaking my legs on day one.” But she obligingly raised her legs, allowing Misako to sit down, then settled her legs back down in Misako’s lap.

They were both quiet for minutes, the impact of their new environment catching up to them. Then Misako thumped her black hair against the dormitory’s wooden walls. “What the fuck are we doing here?” she muttered.

“I know,” said Kyokō after a long pause. “Shit’s getting real.”

“We fucking spent 19,000 gold to get here,” groaned Misako, thumping her head again.

“19,134,” corrected Kyokō promptly.

Misako gave her the stink eye. “I thought you were the one bad at math.”

“I _am_ ,” whined Kyokō in protest. “I’ve just had all week to think about it.”

“Yeah,” agreed Misako. They were both silent for a long time, then she said, “I wonder what Master Abobo’s doing.”

“Punching first years through screens, accidently breaking bones, having to pay out to their parents the Church healing fees...y’know, the usual,” yawned Kyokō sleepily.

“It’s weird, I always thought I couldn’t wait to get outta Derdriu,” sighed Misako, closing her eyes.

“But you miss it,” said Kyokō softly. “Me too.”

Misako was silent for some minutes, not answering, then looked around the austere dorm room. “Is there a clock in here?”

“Hmm,” sighed Kyokō, opening one eye. “Dunno? I heard some Church bells earlier, but who knows what hour that was. Probably mid-afternoon.”

Misako reached over and rolled Kyokō out of the bed, who let out a squawk. “What the hell was that for?” she yelled, rubbing her knees.

Grinning, Misako said, “Let’s change into our gear. Since we’re closer, I wanna go check out that training hall.”

* * *

The city commoners walked around the martial training hall, checking out the different gear and equipment for a moment, impressed by the variety and quality of the training weapons. Pleased with the wide selection of training gloves, they selected a padded version and moved to the arena.

To neither of their surprise, Leonie was already in the training hall, frowning as she tested out the archery lanes and target dummies. Several full quivers were at her feet as she smoothly nocked, drew in a single motion, paused her breathing, and released. The arrow sped twenty yards into its target, a near perfect bullseye. 

“Woo! Nice shot!” cheered Kyokō. Misako snorted, seeking to mark a clear area for their training bout in the sandy ground of the arena.

Leonie glanced at them, grinning broadly at their dojo uniforms. “Hey, guess you guys were telling the truth! Pair of grapplers, aren’t you?”

“Calling us liars, huh?” laughed Misako, amused at the village girl’s audacity.

“You never know!” said Leonie defensively. “You two are a pair of city slickers. Never know if you’ll be trying to pull a con.”

“Oh I pull the cons,” winked Kyokō. “Misako is just Miss Punchy. She doesn’t stop to think past her fists.”

“Or these fists make you stop thinking,” grinned Misako. “C’mon, little sis, you better bring it!”

“Wait, you two aren’t really sisters are you?” asked Leonie. 

Both city girls groaned. “Long story,” explained Kyokō. “To get adjacent rooms, we had to tell Mr. Seteth a whole bunch about us, and then make up a last name for ourselves to keep him happy.” Turning to face her best friend and get in her stance, she missed the sad expression of pity that crossed Leonie’s face.

“Ready?” barked Misako, already bouncing and weaving. 

Kyokō made a kissy face back at her.

WIth a kiyah yell, Misako attacked and the girls quickly traded punches, blocks, and kicks.

Leonie launched a few more arrows, trying to focus on her own training, but her curiosity soon got the better of her and she leaned on her bow to watch. 

She thought the city girls were moving at full speed at first, but soon they were upping the tempo, getting in clipped strikes and chops, while moving with bruising speed as they focused solely on punches and low kicks. A punch broke past Kyokō’s guard, striking her face, but she bent her head and slid the strike past her, bringing Misako’s torso into her upraised knee. Both grimacing, the girls backed off a bit, then charged in once more, yelling.

It was brutal, and went on for fifteen solid minutes, with holds and grapples now being included, and soon both opponents were rolling in the sand, straining against each other and grabbing handholds in hopes of achieving a pin or a slam. It finally ended when Misako released her grip suddenly, reaching up yanking hard on Kyokō’s hair, causing her to yell in pain. Misako’s other arm quickly enclosed Kyokō’s carotid arteries in a vice-like grip. In an instant Kyokō turned bright red and she quickly tapped out.

Gasping for breath, the two martial artists slowly got up, with Leonie grinning at Misako. “Short hair always wins, right?” she said, tapping her own bowl cut. Misako smiled back in agreement.

“Dick move, just because some of us have style,” grumbled Kyokō, still sitting on the sand. “If I had my kanabō, your face would be paste and you know it.”

“Why do you think I only fight you without it?” smiled Misako, holding out her hand. Slowly, she hauled Kyokō to her feet. Leonie coughed discreetly, saying causally, “Um, you two might want to adjust yourselves.”

The two looked down at themselves and groaned. “That’s right, Kyokō,” said Misako with a shake of her head, untucking her gi from her belt and resetting her clothes.. “Co-ed training hall, remember? Gotta be modest for all the poncy boy nobles.”

“Or what?” demanded Kyokō loudly with her hands on her hips, her chest still half bared. “Is this gonna freak out some prissy little noble, like Lorenz?”

Leonie laughed at that. “The Little Lord Gloucester? Oh, I’d pay money to see that...he’d probably scream. But what might help are some binders for y’all. I’ve had to use them for hunting.”

Kyokō finally finished fixing her clothing and looked carefully at Misako, who was nodding thoughtfully. “That sounds like a great idea, but we’re kinda tapped out. We can’t buy anything fancy in a store,” said Misako.

At that the villager was nodding in sympathy. “Hey, I’m in the same boat. If you want, I can show you how to make your own. We can find if there’s some spare linen in the monastery and cut out some strips. All we’d have to buy is the metal fasteners.”

“Never thought of that,” nodded Kyokō with a smile. “Hey Leonie, you’re pretty cool.”

“What do you mean cool?” puzzled Leonie.

“She means you’re pretty badass...for some mud-eating hayseed from a two cattle town,” grinned Misako.

Leonie threw her head back and laughed. “And you two are pretty strong...for some rat-eating city hookers,” she smiled teasingly.

Misako snarled inarticulately and charged.

“Em, wait!!” yelled Kyokō.

Leonie had barely dropped her bow and brought her arms up in defense when Misako was upon her. Taller, older, and twenty pounds heavier, Leonie had no chance. Misako was pure rage, swinging wildly and bringing Leonie down in seconds. Proud of her fighting talent, Leonie was forced to curl into a ball to shield her head and face. 

Kyokō caught up and gripped the wildly yelling Misako’s arm on the upswing, pinning it between her thighs and locking her friend into an armbar. Misako shrieked in rage, then pain, as Kyokō tightened her grip. “Leonie, get away from her if you can, give her space, I’ve got her,” she called out behind her, sitting down on the struggling Misako’s back. Their beaten classmate staggered to her feet and away from the two girls, confused and bleeding.

“Misako, let’s calm the fuck down now sweetie, or I’m gonna break your arm,” warned Kyokō down to her friend.

A growling sob from her best friend, but she soon ceased fighting.

Kyokō eased the hold but not her grip and kept talking. “She didn’t mean it, Em. She doesn’t know you. She was just tryin’ to josh with us, okay? Just trying to play the dozens, so you can’t get insulted for real. Tap twice if you agree.”

Misako flicked Kyokō’s thigh twice. Hard.

“Okay, Em. I’m gonna release, and you’re going to go sit in the corner, okay? I’ll talk to Leonie first. Then you can talk to her once you’re calm again, right? Remember Master Abobo talking about this?”

Misako’s fingers pinched Kyokō twice, but not as hard this time.

“Okay, go calm down now,” said Kyokō. “Letting go in one, two, three, breathe.”

Kyokō released her hold and moved her legs to calmly step back, waiting for her friend to recover. Misako slowly rose from the sand and was red eyed and red faced, but also much more passive, rubbing her sore arm and elbow and wiping sand from her face. Then without looking at anyone else, she stood and marched to the other side of the arena, sitting down cross-legged and facing away from them.

Leonie was bleeding from her lip and nose, but she also was abashed and shame-faced, rubbing the bruises on her arms. Kyokō slowly motioned her to her, as they walked to the opposite side of the room from Misako. Leonie shook her head in consternation as she approached. “I’m sorry. That was all my fault. I was out of line, and people always tell me I’ve got a big mouth, and I should shut up and think before I speak...” mumbled Leonie, gently probing her face.

“It’s nobody’s fault,” whispered Kyokō. “I know what you said didn’t mean anything, but words like that are Misako’s trigger. She goes batshit crazy when she hears it from anyone, and she knows it’s a weakness, and she’s been trying to control it, but…”

“But she shouldn’t have expected it from me,” interrupted Leonie with a firm shake of her head. “I just met you guys today, and that was hella inappropriate. I shouldn’t expect everyone I meet to have a thick skin. And...damn, she did a number on me, didn’t she?” said the village girl with half-laugh, rubbing her bloody nose and mouth. Shaking it off and wiping the blood on her uniform, Leonie nodded to Kyokō. “I’d just like to tell her I’m sorry. Real sorry. I wanna be your all’s friends, if she’s still okay with that.”

“She will be,” nodded Kyokō with a smile. “If anything, she probably feels worse about her reaction than your insult. I know it’s confusing. You probably didn’t have to deal with this stuff in your village, right?”

“I guess not as much as you guys. Maybe just better hidden. Still no excuse though.”

“Who knows,” shrugged Kyokō. “I guess I’ll have to talk to Claude about it. Or even that Seteth guy. If people know that they can bait her into a trap with just one insult,” sighed Kyokō. Then she muttered in reflection, “Let’s just say we’ve been very lucky in our real fights so far.”

Leonie looked downcast at that comment, then squared her shoulders and turned around. Kyokō watched from the sidelines as their classmate gathered her bow and reslung it, slowly replacing the practice arrows and quivers into their armory stands. Once finished, she walked over and knelt next to Misako. They talked in low voices for a long time; then to Kyokō’s astonishment, Leonie helped Misako to her feet and they hugged.

After a moment, Misako glanced over her shoulder and yelled, “Hey Kay, get your ass over here. Surprise friendship hug.”

Smiling, Kyokō ran over and hugged both her old friend and new friend, squeezing them both tight. Eventually, Leonie stepped back, still wiping blood from her nose, and said, “Thanks for forgiving me.”

Misako shrugged, still rubbing her eyes. “Thanks for understanding why I’ve got a broken brain. Before I went berserk...well, I still think you’re cool. I know we’ll get along fine.”

The doors of the training hall opened and the Golden Deer girls backed apart. Claude poked his head inside. “Oh, there you guys are...and of course all of you are already bloody messes. Gods, look at you three. Do you need to go to the infirmary or do you have time to help me?”

“What’s wrong?” asked Kyokō curiously

“It’s Marianne. Somehow she never registered for her dormitory assignment. I’ve got the rest of the class looking for her but we haven’t made much headway.”

Misako and Kyokō thought back. “She didn’t go inside the Entrance Hall,” said Misako slowly.

Kyokō nodded, remembering. “She went to the right side of it, down another passage.”

Claude looked briefly confused. “To the right of the Entry…” he started, then abruptly sighed. “I should’ve known she would go straight to the stables. Never mind, gang, I’ll fetch her. You might want to get cleaned up, unless you want people to think half the students in the Golden Deer are ghouls. The introduction dinner is in a couple of hours at evening bell in the dining hall. Thanks again!” The doors banged shut.

Gingerly, Leonie probed her nose. “Luckily, I don’t think it’s broken. Just my pride. Y’all need to show me how to punch.”

With a cheerful smile, Kyokō nodded. “We can do that! Right?”

Misako paused, then sneered at Leonie. “Why would I do that? I don’t want to teach her how to punch like me! She’ll just be looking for payback!”

Blinking, Leonie tried to smile through her split lip, then winced. Still, she tried to keep up the game. “Oh, if I wanted payback, I’d be using this,” she said, tapping her bow. “I don’t think you kids are quick enough to dodge arrows yet.”

“I wish,” sighed Kyokō wistfully. “I’ve heard of really really good martial artists who can do that!”

“Pfft. As if you’ll ever be that good,” muttered Misako, but then she paused in the fragile banter, noticing Leonie’s expression. “Um, hey, Leonie, you sure you don’t need a vulnerary? I’m buying. Serious,” she offered guiltily.

Leonie shrugged it off. “Eh, I’ve had worse. Pain’s a good teacher. What better way to remind me to keep my big yap shut?”

“And now that the matter is _settled_ ,” said Kyokō in a deadly and sweet tone, “let’s go to our rooms and get ready for dinner and meet our classmates!”

* * *

The dinner had all the potential for a disaster.

As a “get to know your classmates” exercise, the students were forbidden from being seated with anyone they already knew. Misako and Kyokō, in fresh academy unis but still carrying marks and bruises from the training hall, were already looking at each other in despair. Leonie stood tall behind them, her nose bright red and one eye already turning purple. Misako had finally convinced her to at least dab some vulnerary potion on her lip, and the archer had agreed eating would have been a problem otherwise. Now, bathed, somewhat freshened up, and thoroughly tense, the three Golden Deer were all looking at the list tacked onto the dining hall billboard.

“Uh, that’s weird. They had me with someone else, but crossed out whoever I was gonna be with and put me with Marianne,” mumbled Leonie, half to herself.

“Probably because they found out she’s a basket case,” Misako grunted. “So they put her with someone of her own class.”

“Misako, don’t be bitchy! But...she might have a point, Leonie. Marianne may be a noblewoman, but she’s not a snob. She’s an orphan, like us, and I think she’s just having a hard time getting over it,” explained Kyokō helpfully.

“Uh...so what’s wrong with her exactly?” asked Leonie warily.

“She doesn’t talk,” said Kyokō. “Like, at all. But she does listen to you. She did in the carriage ride up here.”

“She’s also afraid of strangers,” added Misako.

“But she likes horses! She’s super chill with horses!”

“And I guess she prays a bunch? She really wanted to see Garreg Mach Cathedral. She’s also really nice in her own weird way. When she found out we were orphans, she said she felt sorry for us. That was nice.”

Leonie considered her classmates’ chatter. “‘Huh, that’s all? Okay, I think I can work with that. Lemme go find her and we’ll get our food. See you guys around! Good luck on dinner!” Turning away, the hunter went to look for her dining partner.

“Who do you have Kyokō?” said Misako, peering at the list. “Felix...Fraldarius?”

“Ugh, a noble. Kill me now,” whined Kyokō, smacking her head and dragging her palm down her face.

“And I have...Caspar...Bergliez? Ah shit. We _both_ have nobles…? This fucking sucks!”

“Misako, we should totally bail. Let’s just eat together in our rooms.”

Misako sighed. “Can’t bail on 19,000 gold.”

“But I wanna!”

Growling, Misako turned and shook Kyokō’s shoulders, lowering her voice. “We _can’t_. This isn’t bullshit school, Kyokō, where Master Abobo sent us when we were kids. We can’t just get expelled because we sold all the desks and slates from Mr. Rudis’ classroom in the middle of the night.”

Kyokō smiled distantly at the memory. “Oh yeah...that was fun…”

“Focus, Kyokō! My point is that this is _real_ school! And in real school, if we break the rules, we lose our 19,000 gold with nothing to show for it! That means no magic training! Get it?” said Misako with another shake.

Kyokō slapped Misako’s hands off and adjusted her uniform and hair. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”

“I agree.”

Both girls jumped at the male voice behind them. A sour faced, dark haired young man with hair in topknot stared at them evenly, already holding a tray of food.

“Which one of you is Kyokō?” he asked in a flat voice.

Both of them pointed at Kyokō.

“Good. This’ll be easier if you don’t talk. Get your food and stop wasting my time,” said the young man, wheeling around to his assigned seat.

Misako gave Kyokō a slight shove to the cafeteria. “You heard your new boyfriend. Get going.”

Kyokō glared back at Misako, but then paused, looking over her shoulder. “He does have a bad boy vibe, doesn’t he? Ohh, I wonder what he likes! Okay, see ya, Misako! Good luck!” Kyokō waved and dashed off to hurry and have dinner with the strange young man.

Watching her go, Misako leaned against the wall and looked around the crowded dining hall with a bored expression. Despite her advice to Kyokō earlier, this _was_ totally stupid and nothing could change that. There was nothing possible at all that she could have in common with a nobleman. She was just a street girl from Derdriu, who happened to luck out somewhat. She didn’t have a Crest, or a house, or an inheritance. Hell, she couldn’t even speak like a noble, despite all the etiquette lessons. This was going to be such a pain in the…

“Heya! You Misako?”

She flicked a gaze down to a teal haired boy shorter than her. Blowing hair from her eyes, she muttered, “Yeah. Who wants to know?”

“Nice to meet cha! I’m Caspar Bergliez! Whoa, did you just get in a fight? Did you kick their ass?” The grinning kid stuck out their hand.

Misako had to smile slightly at that. “Actually, I kicked both their asses,” she said, deigning to shake his hand.

“Awe-some!” he cheered happily. “You a brawler too? My dad sent me here because he got tired of me beating up everyone around Merceus. Said I might as well make something of myself.”

“So you got a free ride here?” asked Misako, her tone cooling.

“Yeah, well, except he’s cutting me off after this. All my life, it’s been no Crest, so no inheritance, ya dig? So I tried to form my own gang, The Justice Muscles!” he grinned. Then his face fell. “He didn’t like that at all, but I thought being a gang leader was kinda fun, since we only beat up bad guys. And let me tell you, there are _tons_ around these days! Finally he shipped me off here, saying I needed to cool down and learn discipline, but I dunno about that. All I gotta do here is get stronger and learn how to kick even more ass!” he smiled toothily again, flexing and showing off a decent looking bicep.

Misako snickered. He was kinda cute...dumb, but cute. Finally smiling herself, she asked, “Guess we’re sitting together tonight. You hungry?”

“Oh yeah I am! Bet you ten gold I can finish the plate faster than you!” he laughed.

Now grinning herself, Misako turned to the cafeteria line. “Not if I’m in the line in front of you, loser!”

“Oh you’re on!” Casper was already racing her to the queue. Laughing, Misako sprinted ahead of him.

* * *

Leonie approached the table with her rib roast and fried potatoes, slowly walking over to the sad looking blue haired girl sitting before a plate of mixed vegetables. She waited patiently for the girl to glance up and notice her. 

“Howdy,” she smiled slightly. “My name’s Leonie. I’m one of your classmates. I guess I’m your dinner partner for tonight, okay?”

Marianne just lowered her head, picking at her nails in her lap.

Leonie sat down carefully, remembering what Misako and Kyokō had said. They were clearly not kidding. “So, um, I guess this is a meet and greet kind of thing, huh? It’s okay if you don’t wanna talk. I guess that means I have to do all the talking, and you’re stuck here listening to me! So if you want me to shut up at some point, you’ll have to say something, ‘kay?”

The noblewoman gave the tiniest of shrugs.

Shrugging herself, Leonie dug into her meal, chatting between bites. “So um, if you don’t mind me saying, Misako and Kyokō already told me a little bit about you and what you’ve been going through. So it must feel like a big shift in your life, and now you’re in this weird new place on top of it. And um, I know it’s hard, but you’re not alone, okay? I’m an orphan too. My pa died in a hunting accident when I was five. Bear got ‘im. So I barely remember him. And then my poor ma died when I was fourteen of an ague over winter. She coughed and coughed and just never got better, then one day she just didn’t wake up. I cried my eyes out for days. But then I had to pick up after myself and help chip in, because if I didn’t work or fish or hunt around the village, I was gonna starve by myself. So I was kinda on my own after that, although everyone tried to help me past it. I think what made it easier is realizing I wasn’t the only orphan in town. Hey, you gonna eat at all?” 

Marianne shrugged again, pushing her food around with her fork. 

“You know the dining staff worked hard on this, right? Don’t be disrespectful to other people just because you feel sad. Plus you need to keep up your strength. I mean, you want to see the stables again, right? And the cathedral? You can just nod or shake your head.”

After a second, Marianne finally nodded, and speared some broccoli to take a bite, chewing slowly.

Nodding, Leonie resumed her meal. “Anyway, I think you’re a nice girl. Heck, you seem like a nice noblewoman. Most noblewomen are obsessed with their looks or dresses or marriages. Shallow as a puddle, y’know? But you look just like a person. Uh, I mean a regular person. Like me or Misako or Kyokō. All four of us are orphans. So it’s a bad thing and you always miss your folks, but there’s other people out there who know what it’s like. And we’re here to help you whenever you want. Go on, take another bite, okay? I’m almost done, and you look like you haven’t eaten at all. What do you live on, air? C’mon, only plants do that.”

Marianne’s shoulders quivered, and a small smile spread on her face. 

“Oh ho, was that a giggle?” Leonie smirked. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell nobody and ruin your rep. So, I guess we’ll be in classes together. I’ll help you out if you want it. Misako and Kyokō said you don’t really wanna be here, and I think that’s unfair. I mean, not everyone wants to fight, right? I get that. So I guess what I’m saying is stick close to us commoner girls in the Golden Deer and we’ll protect you. I’m a pretty decent shot with a bow, so maybe I can show you some tips with that and you can cover for us. Hey, if you’re not gonna eat all those veggies, give some to me at least. Here, just scrape whatever you don’t want off on my plate.”

At last, Marianne raised her face, still alight with a shy smile and bright brown eyes. Leonie felt herself blushing under her bruised face, her breath halting momentarily. _Holy Seiros._ _Misako and Kyokō didn’t mention she’s so pretty it hurts! Damn!_

“Oh...did you want more? I think I can finish this…” Marianne’s voice finally intruded on her thoughts.

Leonie blinked to realize Marianne had finished scrapping half her plate onto her own, and she was frozen like an idiot. Flushing more, Leonie lowered her plate and took a quick bite. “Uh, that’s great. You’re great. I mean I’m great. Thanks, Marianne. I mean Lady Marianne.” _Even her voice is pretty!_ _I’m an idiot! I’m acting like a dumb hick. Buck up, Leonie!_ “So, um, I guess you’re wondering how my face got banged up. Uh, well, me and Misako kind of got into a fight at the training hall. And not a training fight, but a real fight. It was because I said something super mean, and it made her real mad. And it was all my fault, ‘cause I put my foot in my mouth.”

Looking up, Leonie was pleased to notice that Marianne appeared interested and was listening. She was eating more, too.

“So, yeah, I pretty much insulted this girl I wanted to be friends with, all on the first day of school. But you know what? When Misako calmed down and Kyokō talked to me about stuff, we got a chance to become even better friends. And it feels like we understand each other a lot better now, even though she punched the piss and snot outta me. And I guess what I’m saying is I’d like to be friends like that with you too. I’d definitely let you beat me up and get a few swings in at me if it meant you and I could become friends, Marianne. Uh, I’m sorry, I mean Lady Marianne! Or do you care about...wait, you okay? Are you choking?”

Marianne had turned red in the face and tears were streaming down her eyes. Eventually she couldn’t stop it anymore, and erupted into soft, delicate laughter. Between giggles, she said, “I’m sorry...just the thought of...me, of all people, beating you up...ha ha ha! Oh, please forgive me…” 

“Shucks, you’re forgiven,” grinned Leonie, immensely pleased with herself. “Hey, you done? I’ll grab your plate if y’are.” Still laughing, Marianne handed off her plate and utensils to Leonie, who dropped them off at the dishwashing station in the dining hall. She was pleased to see Marianne more composed but still shyly smiling from her seat.

“So whaddya wanna do now? We can visit the gardens, the greenhouse, the Cathedral? Anything you want to see, it’s your call,” Leonie grinned.

Marianne looked pensive for a moment, then stood. Leonie noted with interest how the noblewoman was almost as tall as herself. “Um...if you’re sure it’s okay with you...I’d like to see the Cathedral, if you don’t mind…” she said in a small voice.

“Sure thing! Let’s head on out. I’ll bet it’s beautiful.” _Almost as beautiful as you._

* * *

Kyokō leaned forward on the table, her fist under her chin, using all of her charm. “So, where’re you from?”

“Faerghus,” said Felix simply, taking a bite and refusing to look at her.

“That’s specific. I guess I’m from Leicester then.”

“I don’t care.”

“You totes care about something, since you’re here at Garreg Mach,” Kyokō pointed out, waving a cracked nail. “Otherwise you’d be prancing about with all the other nobles in a ballroom.”

He snorted at that. It was almost a laugh.

Pleased, Kyokō took another bite of her Derdriu Pheasant and Berry Sauce, a far more expensive dish than she could normally afford in her hometown. “Me, I know I’m a commoner, but at least I know how to kick ass. I guess you’re here to learn how to kick ass. If you want, I can give a boy like you some tips for a beginning student.”

At that Felix finally glared at her with eyes that were dull amber, like a cat’s. “Please. All Faerghus children learn to wield swords before they can even read or write.”

Kyokō blinked. “What if you don’t want to wield a sword? Or if you want to read or write?”

“You get killed.”

“Dumbass. I mean, what if you wanna be good at something else? Like martial arts? Or axes? Or magic? All I’m saying is it’s nice to have options for killing people. No reason to be all single-minded.”

“You’re a martial artist?” Felix asked, finally showing interest in her for the first time.

Grinning, Kyokō smiled and folded her fingers together to rest her chin. “Yup! I’ve lived in a dojo for the past eight years.”

“Which school?

“Almyran kotschi.”

“Interesting. We’ll have to compare styles on the training ground. I just know Faerghus savate,” Felix said with a tiny half-smile. Kyokō noted his eyes brightened whenever he finally showed interest. She wanted to keep it up.

“Sounds like a plan Mr. Nobleman,” she winked a blue eye.

Now he snorted again between bites. “Don’t remind me.”

Caught off guard for a second time, Kyokō asked, “You...don’t like being a nobleman?”

“No.”

“Huh. I thought nobles liked being nobles. I mean, it’s not like commoners like being commoners,” she said, curious as she chewed.

“I suppose the grass is always greener.”

“Actually, commoner grass is kinda muddy and shitty and inedible. C’mon, spill. What’s so bad about being noble?” Kyokō questioned, frowning at him. Maybe he was spoiled rotten, just in a different way.

Sighing, Felix leaned back from his plate and explained. “Imagine you have a home and family. All the food you want. A life of ease and money.”

“Okay…”

“But in exchange, you give up your freedom. You _have_ to do what people tell you to do. What people expect you to do. You’re told who to serve, who to protect, who to love, who to have kids with. You’re responsible for an entire city, territory, or country. And anything and everything that happens to it is your responsibility, or your fault. Oh, and you’re also a walking assassination target for your entire life.” Felix leaned forward. “Does noble life still sound fun to you now?”

Kyokō tapped a finger on her chin in a show of consideration. Then she smiled brightly. “Duh, yeah!”

“Really,” he snorted again. “Do tell.”

“Since you asked so nicely, I will! What you see as freedom is simply necessity and survival for commoners, Fe-fe. Oh sure, maybe you’re strong and skilled, but I bet you’d be completely lost on the streets of Derdriu or Fhirdiad or Enbarr without the slightest clue. People would see you’re strong, and they wouldn’t fight you straight up. They’d wait until you’re asleep and slit another frowny face on your throat. But when you’re a nobleman, you have this entire team on your side protecting you! You have a group of people watching your back, which believe me, is something you want as a commoner.”

Felix sneered. “I could get my own mercenary group.”

“With your attitude? Really? You see yourself as a leader of men? I dunno, that sounds pretty... _noble_ to me,” Kyokō sneered back at him.

Felix opened his mouth, snapped it shut. Eventually, a faint color rose on his cheeks.

“Score one for team Kyokō!” she cheered herself, standing up and pumping her fists. Flipping her ponytail back, she grabbed her plate. “Anyway, let’s head to the training grounds, Fe-fe. I wanna see what my kanabō can do against your sword,” Kyokō giggled. She skipped away to dispose of her dishes.

Blinking, Felix sat seated in his chair for a long moment, his gaze unconsciously tracking Kyokō.

“Heya, Fe-fe!” An arm draped around Felix’s shoulders and a voice tickled his ear. “Let’s head to the training grounds!”

“ARGH!” With a violent motion, Felix shoved the laughing redhead away from him. “Get the fuck OFF me, Sylvain!”

* * *

Misako fell away from her empty plate, her spoon clattering against the ceramic. “Four…” she burped. Her stomach felt like an overinflated balloon. Her academy uni was bulging at the buttons.

Caspar scowled at her with watering teal eyes. “I can do this…” he gasped. “I can do it…” He lifted a trembling fork to his mouth, from the plate which had two bites left.

“Go, Caspar! For the Honor of the Black Eagle House!” cheered the foreign girl with tattoos next to him.

“Hubert, please go fetch a bucket. Perhaps two. I fear we may need them soon,” said the short silver haired woman in red to the tall dark haired man. He stepped away, his lip curling in disgust.

Claude gently patted Misako’s shoulder, as if he were afraid she might explode if he poked too hard. “That was amazing, Misako. Just keep it together for a little longer.”

“This is a dining hall, not a vomitorium. All of you make me ill,” sneered the noble kid Lysithea, flouncing away from the table.

Hubert returned with the requested supplies, placing one at the foot of each chair.

“I have to say that this has been the most disgusting yet amazing thing I’ve ever seen. It’s like when a pegasus or wyvern crashes from the sky. You want to look away but simply can’t,” said the pink haired Lady Goneril.

Misako hurked once, putting a fist to her mouth, but managed to swallow and smile at Casper.

“See what I mean?” said Hilda.

Caspar was staring at his last bite as if all the mysteries of the universe were there. Breathing heavily, he brought it to his lips. 

Chewed.

Swallowed.

Smiled brightly.

And then it happened.

As Caspar puked in the bucket next to him, Misako rose unsteadily to her feet and gave a ragged cheer. “Woo! Derdriu represent!”

“I’ll take that one hundred gold now, Princess,” said a smiling Claude, holding his palm out.

The Imperial Princess covered her eyes with a white glove. “How did I get roped into this? Hubert, pay Claude so we can leave Caspar and Misako to their evening together.”

Misako grinned at the Princess. “What? I’m fine. Completely okay! No problems..what…so...”

Bile rose in her throat. Her tummy gurgled ominously.

Soon, she was coughing and choking on the floor as well, retching into her own bucket.

“Thanks again, Misako! You did the Golden Deer proud!” said Claude’s voice from some far away place above her.

* * *

“Thank you for staying with me during the evensong, Leonie.”

Leonie smiled easily. “No problem at all. It was really pretty. We didn’t have nice music like that in our village chapel. Just a bunch of us country bumpkins singing hymns acapella. We never even knew if we got the notes right!” she shrugged with a wide smile.

They stopped sooner than Leonie expected to, at the second door of the second floor dormitories. She struggled against an irrational sense of disappointment.

“Um...this is my room, I guess. For the semester,” said Marianne, lingering by the entrance.

“Oh sure! Well, thanks for spending time with me. And, um, having dinner. I’ll see you in class tomorrow, right? You won’t get lost in the stables again?” she lightly teased.

Marianne blushed and smiled, looking down. “No...but maybe we can visit them together tomorrow…?” she asked hopefully, glancing up.

“I’d love that. I mean like that. Er, yeah, looking forward to it,” Leonie stumbled. Goddess, she was acting goofy. Hopefully Marianne wasn’t noticing.

Marianne was staring at her.

Now it was Leonie’s turn to blush at the forwardness. Damn, she was noticing! Her brain scrambled for something to say. “Uh...what?” _Brilliant, Leonie! Try again!_ “Do I have food on my face? Do I need to wipe my mouth?”

“No...it’s just...do you mind if I touch you?” Marianne whispered, looking at her closely.

Leonie’s throat went utterly dry. Slowly she nodded, not sure to what she was agreeing. But somehow that made it even more of a thrill.

Closing her eyes, Marianne gently reached out and laid the tips of her fingers on Leonie’s face. It was the softest, gentlest brush of contact but it made her pulse quicken all the same. Suddenly her face felt warm, then tingly, and Leonie’s wide eyes saw that Marianne’s hand was glowing pure white.

Abruptly, her nose and face felt completely new. As if Misako had never punched her today. The dull aching throbs in her body ceased.

Marianne lowered her hand, and the glow faded.

Leonie rubbed her nose. Huh, it really must’ve been broken all along, and she never noticed it. A silly grin spread across her face, stretching her newly healed skin. “Wow, thanks! You healed me up good! You didn’t have to do that though, really.”

Marianne smiled shyly at her. “I just wanted to see your face. And I was right. It is a kind face.” Bowing her head in embarrassment, she muttered “See you tomorrow” and quickly stepped into her room, closing the door.

Leonie stared at the door. Then, shivering and feeling cold and hot all at once, she trotted back downstairs and walked slowly towards her own dorm near the training hall. Outside by the garden walls, she stood still for a long moment, looking between the stars above and down towards the dim light of a certain second floor dormitory window. 

* * *

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up we'll see the arrival of Byleth and Jeralt, as well as Catherine and Shamir.


	3. An Ass-Kicking at Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misako and Kyokō, determined to keep Claude out of trouble, risk their standing at the Academy and soon find themselves swept up by unexpected events.

Chapter 3

An Ass-Kicking At Dawn

Claude whistled a cheerful tune to himself as he left his dorm room, turning around and locking the latch with the key. Looking up, he paused in mid-whistle.

Kyokō and Misako were waiting for him outside his room, already smartly dressed in their Golden Deer Academy uniforms, although they had eschewed their ceremonial swords. Instead, Kyokō was leaning on her kanabō, looking bored, while Misako still looked a little green from yesterday’s meal, but her gauntlets were secure on her hands.

“Um...what are you two doing here?” Claude asked slowly.

“Our job,” sighed Kyokō, standing up and raising her weapon to her shoulder. “Been waiting on you forever. Classes start in ten minutes, Boss. Let’s get crackin’.”

“Your...job,” Claude said slowly.

Misako tightened her gauntlet straps. “Just because you’ve forgotten doesn’t mean we have. You hired us as bodyguards, so we’re your bodyguards. We’re here to escort you to class. End of discussion.”

“Heh, I don’t think that’s something I need…”

“You do,” they chimed in harmony, in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Fine, fine. Okay then, let’s squad up, Deer.” Misako and Kyokō fell into flanking positions left and right of Claude’s shoulders. He had to admit, he did feel better now.

* * *

By the end of the week, Claude felt more than better, he felt relieved.

Several students from the Blue Lions and Black Eagles, whether acting of their volition or under orders, were often seen loitering in places where he was going. But the manic grins and evil glares that Kyokō and Misako gave them were always enough to quickly convince them that they had business elsewhere. As a side project and token of appreciation, he tried his best to show Kyokō and Misako introductory texts on Reason and Faith, and while he was busy snooping around in the restricted section of the library, he noted they were often huddled together at a desk, trying to trace sigils and incantations in their notebooks. If by nothing else, the pair were earning his admiration by grit alone, although he had to stop Kyokō from stealing books from the library, explaining that could lead to expulsion. She made a pitiful frown and reluctantly returned the books.

In the meantime, the rest of his class appeared to be bonding well. Leonie had thankfully taken Marianne under her wing. Claude privately congratulated himself for that brilliant piece of subterfuge he had made with a small, concealed quill and a tiny vial of ink. He had swiped several pages of Lord Seteth’s handwriting on the first day, and he was working diligently on mimicking it perfectly, but that rush job he had made on the introductory dinner list was paying unexpected dividends. Lorenz was constantly on his case about Alliance politics, having nothing better to do in his spare time after foolishly alienating the rest of the class. Only Hilda bothered to put up with him now, but Hilda was often more busy showering baubles and treats on the “cute little Lady Lysithea.” Somehow, someway, Lysithea accepted being babied and coddled by Hilda, but bristled like a bear cub from the merest hint of it from anyone else. Misako and Kyokō got along well with the other girls; astonishingly enough, they always bowed in respect towards Lysithea, which did nothing to check the albino’s growing ego. Hilda had immediately won the street girls over by making them cute earrings and necklaces. Claude suspected Kyokō and Misako didn’t have much experience with jewelry while growing up.

Sadly, the one fly in the ointment was that the Golden Deer House Professor was an utter bore and buffoon of a man who had them reciting military history out loud from their textbooks in class. Misako and Kyokō refused to put up with such ridiculousness and used their time more productively by sleeping, which deducted points from their grades, but they would make it up on the practicums, Claude reassured himself.

All in all, things appeared to be shaping up well this year for the Golden Deer. Now if Lorenz would just stop being a pisssant bitch who refused to focus on his Reason skills...

Of course, by the end of that third week of Great Tree Moon, things went straight to shit.

* * *

“Seriously. What the fuck--?”

“Marks deducted for language, Miss Rivers,” Seteth replied calmly, seated behind his desk in his office.

“Misako, honey, please, let me handle this,” Kyokō whispered loudly to her friend. Smiling sweetly, she turned to Lord Seteth and repeated. “Seriously. What the fuck--?”

“Marks deducted once again.”

“You can’t be serious,” Misako threw up her hands. “Claude may seem all smooth and suave and know-it-all, but trust us, it’s a facade built out of cobwebs and moonbeams. The guy’s a hopeless naif and a total, guileless babe in the woods.”

“That’s kinda the same thing, Misako.”

“Quiet, Kyokō, and let me do the thinking.”

“You mean talking.”

Lord Seteth started to massage his sinuses. “Do you ladies have a point to make?”

“The point is Claude is just straight up dumb sometimes,” explained Kyokō sweetly. “I mean, we know he can’t help it, because he’s a boy, but it is what it is. You can’t trust him unsupervised. Like a toddler.”

“Or a boy.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Oh yeah.” Misako sighed and added, “Look, I mean, you think we’re making your job difficult. But the catch is you’re making our jobs difficult. We were hired to protect Claude. The payment basically was admission to Garreg Mach.”

Headmaster Seteth was quite the master of the frown. “I thought the tale was that the two of you saved his life.”

“We did,” they said together. Kyokō went on, “Claude thought it was a good idea to wander the piers of Derdriu at night, alone, without a weapon, without an escort, looking short, suspicious, and Almyran. He nearly ended up in a pirate slave galley. If we hadn’t been there, he would be in Morfis or Dagda or Albinea by now.”

Misako shrugged. “Maybe it’s not stupidity, but just pure ignorance. But it leads to the same thing: dead in a ditch. Claude is stupid, takes stupid risks, and shows almost total ignorance of how things really work in Fodlan. And you want to pair him up with the Faerghus Prince and the Imperial Princess on an overnight _camping trip_?”

“The Knights of Seiros have formed a perimeter,” Seteth said brusquely. “The area is patrolled regularly and should be safe enough. I understand your concerns, cadets, and in fact I will not deduct marks for your language, because I understand how alarming it can feel to have your charge taken away from your care, even for one night.” He rose from his desk and strode around it. “Your concern for Lord Riegan’s well-being does both of you credit, but I assure you, things are well in hand. Now if you will excuse me?”

Both Misako and Kyokō were steaming as they exited the Headmaster’s office. Using the hand signals and body language they had developed in their spare time (which had been plenty so far, thanks to their boring old Professor), they wordlessly agreed to meet up in their rooms.

Once there, they gathered their stuff and went next door and knocked on Leonie’s door. The tall flame haired archer opened it almost immediately. “Hey gang. What’s going on?” she asked, noting their grim expressions.

“Yo Leonie. Can you get Marianne to help us?” they asked.

Ten minutes later, Marianne had gathered with them in Leonie’s room, where they were going over their plan together while Misako and Kyokō geared up.

“I...don’t really think I can do this…” whispered Marianne from where she sat close to Leonie on the bed.

“That’s why it’s perfectly believable coming from you, you cute thing!” giggled Kyokō. She and Misako were moving about, changing into their night gear of midnight black, form fitting clothing. Marianne looked away and blushed, but Leonie was frowning at them, her elbows on her haunches.

“Why do you think Claude is going to get into trouble?” she wondered.

“Maybe he’s not,” said Misako, her voice muffled by her mask, strapping on her spring loaded serrated knife gauntlets, carefully setting the deadly blades in a retracted position.

“But knowing Claude, what do you think? We’ve known him for months. When he’s out of sight, it’s like letting a little green eyed gremlin run free. Bad things are going to happen. It’s just logic,” explained Kyokō, busy bundling up her hair with a tie in her mouth to fit inside her mask.

Misako glanced at her, only her red eyes visible. “I keep telling you, you need to cut it.”

“I know, I know. And I keep telling you, you need to keep running more if you want to fit into your gear. Master Abobo only fed us twice a day, not three like this place”

With a worried look in her eyes, Misako turned to the mirror and looked behind herself. “Really? You’re not shitting me?”

“Focus, Misako.”

“Ugh, fine. Okay, Leonie. Your job is--?”

Leonie had a look of distaste. “Go out drinking with Professor Manuela and talk about her love life,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Kyokō nodded. “Whatever you do, don’t try to keep up with her. Just don’t.”

Misako pointed a black gloved finger at Marianne, who flinched. “And your job is--?”

“T-tell everyone in class y-you’re sick tomorrow morning,” said Marianne while trembling. She buried her face in her hands. “Oh, I don’t think I can, please don’t make me.”

Misako said, “We’re not making you, we’re asking you. Big diff.”

“And everyone will then look for Professor Manuela, but she’ll be hungover and won’t remember a thing! That should cause enough confusion to give us at least a day. That’s all we need, really. Okay?” said Kyokō, giving a blue eyed wink from behind her mask, her kanabō strapped to her back.

Leonie rested a comforting hand on Marianne’s shoulder, and her trembling decreased minutely. The hunteress gave an uncertain smile back at the duo. “We’ll try to hold the fort. Y’all just better be right, or you’re gonna be knee deep in horseshit.”

Misako shrugged. “Only knee deep?”

Kyokō giggled. “We can handle that.”

The two left Leonie’s room, heading for the walls of Garreg Mach.

* * *

Claude and the two other House Leaders had a three hour head start on them, but they would be walking leisurely.

Even in the afternoon sunlight, the Oghma mountains were extremely cooperative with their dark gear; there were numerous deep crevices, shadowy forests, and sunlit ridges that could hide their passing. While neither Kyokō or Misako had the slightest iota of mountain or forest training, the same principles from debris strewn streets and alleys and rooftop running applied, and they moved with relative silence and stealth, with only the occasional quiet whisper and the smallest snapped twigs to mark their passage to Claude’s campsite. Nothing that would attract the attention of the average Knight of Seiros.

Unfortunately for Misako and Kyokō, they were being watched by two extremely skilled Knights of Seiros. But for now, they were simply content to watch, amused by the temerity of the two students. Just as the skilled pair started tailing Claude, Edelgard, and Dimitri, they were being tailed in return.

* * *

“C’mon, Misako,” Kyokō breathed quietly in the tree they were hiding in. “It looks like nothing’s happening. They’re just talking and it looks like they’re going to hit the sack soon.” They were sitting on opposite sides of the bough of a large tree, with Kyokō watching the camp, while Misako watched the nighttime forest.

“Then it’s the best time for someone to attack. Please tell me one of them is going to stand watch,” groused Misako.

“Not that I can tell,” said Kyokō, swinging her seat to sit beside Misako. 

“Fucking amatuers. What are you doing?”

“Trying to get rid of the splotches.”

“Takes thirty minutes. It’s called night blindness. Good job.”

“You’re the one who said I had to watch the camp!” Kyokō hissed.

“Shush.”

“You shush.”

They started a silent pinch war against each other, waiting out the night, when they both heard it over the pops and hisses of the slowly dying campfire. The not-so-stealthy sounds of many bodies trying to be stealthy. Misako, with the better night vision, started doing a silent hand count for Kyokō as she stared fixedly into the woods.

_4...9...16...25…40..._

Kyokō urgently tapped Misako’s shoulder. _What plan? What plan?_ she signed to her friend, panic in her blue eyes.

Misako’s red eyes were equally wide as she signed back. _Boss. Plan._ They were out of their depth.

The pair rapidly shimmied down from their perch, moving quickly towards the three tents and the slowly dying embers of the fire. Getting an idea, Misako motitioned Kyokō to restart the fire pit with the remaining nearby brush and wood, then untied the straps to Claude’s tent flap and peered inside. Seeing her boss’ sleeping form, she gave a quiet warning to wake him. “Psst! Boss! Wake up!”

Claude was instantly alert, still dressed aside from his boots. He blinked twice at the dark form in his tent. “Huh? Misako? What’s up?”

“Attackers at the perimeter. Forty or more. We need a plan.”

“Well, shit,” said her boss, already diving for his boots and tugging them on quickly. Misako stood as she let her House Leader out of the tent and grab his bow and quiver, although she was glad he at least knew to stay low and away from the campfire, which was now burning merrily thanks to Kyokō. “What should we do?” he whispered in the darkness, worried.

“First we need you to wake the other royals,” said Kyokō at his shoulder. “We don’t want them to freak seeing us dressed like this.”

“Right, right,” nodded Claude, regaining his equilibrium, and he moved to Dimitri’s tent first, while Misako and Kyokō stood a nervous guard at opposite ends of the campsite.

“An attack?” came the low voice of the Prince, soon standing fully geared and ready with his lance. At least he had been sleeping in his armor. “I should have guessed. Even here at Garreg Mach we are not safe. Edelgard? Please wake!”

Finally, the Imperial Princess joined them, emerging from her tent like a ghost wearing red, holding a large axe. “What is the meaning of this--?” she demanded, her eyes narrowing on the dark forms of Misako and Kyokō returning to stand near Claude.

“My bodyguards have told me we have company, Princess. I trust them with my life.”

Misako was about to respond when Kyokō silently nudged her. To her surprise, her friend spoke up. “Here’s the thing, Claude and kids. We’re not the targets, you are, so that gives us some freedom to work our brand of magic. But we need you to clear the hell out. We’ll cover for you and slow them down.”

Dimitri frowned mightily at them, but nodded at the logic. “Your retainer speaks sense, frustrating as it is. We must flee and allow them to protect us. As heirs, our lives are not just our own.”

“There’s a village nearby,” Claude declared. “Remire, I think it’s called. Should be about ten or twelve miles to the southwest. We’ll head out to there.”

“Then get going, boss. And the kids, too,” growled Misako. She clenched the mechanical grips in her fists and her wrist blades extended in lock position, gleaming red in the firelight. Kyokō giggled and unslung her kanabō, giving it a few test swings.

“Good luck, girls. Thanks for the heads up,” nodded Claude seriously, then he was already dashing to the treeline in the general southwesterly direction. Dimitri merely bowed once to them and followed. Edelgard regarded both of them for a long, considering moment, then shouldered her axe and followed Dimitri.

And not a moment too soon. The trees to the north erupted in bloodthirsty screams and yells as a full company of bandits attacked, running straight for the three tents in the firelight. Kyokō and Misako eased back into the shadows behind a nearby outcropping.

“You never told me coming to Garreg Mach was going to get us killed,” Kyokō whispered crossly.

“Eh, sorry, slipped my mind. Try to cripple ‘em. We don’t need to kill, just wound a bunch. Then let’s run southeast,” muttered Misako, watching the dozens of bandits approach.

“I want another twenty thousand gold for this,” grumbled Kyokō, gripping her kanabō tight.

“That was just five guys. This is like a hundred.”

“You know I’m bad at math!”

The bandits began smashing and hacking into the tents with their weapons.

“We always did say math would kill us!” laughed Misako.

“But not literally!” Kyokō whined.

They leapt out from cover and attacked.

* * *

The two Knights of Seiros watched from a nearby tree bough with a clear view of the action.

“Huh. They’re actually halfway decent.”

“Yeah. Not bad.”

“Look at that. They’re going for knees and hamstrings. Smart kids. Brave as hell too. Wouldn’t expect it from Leicester brats.” They watched the frantic melee for another minute.

“Kotschi.”

“Gesundheit.”

“No, I mean their style. It’s Almyran. Mixed in with straight up street brawling.” She unlimbered her bow from her shoulder and drew an arrow, then loosed. Then another. And another.

“Nice shots.”

“Thanks. Okay, there’s a difference between bravery and stupidity. They need to…”

“There they go. They’re finally disengaging. Trying to draw them southeast.”

“Towards us. How considerate. Want to help them out, or am I the only one with a heart?”

“Fine.” The other raised two hands in an inverted triangle, and an eruption of flames exploded behind the two cadets, sending the pursuing bandits flying through the air. The two dark forms staggered into the treeline a dozen yards away from the two.

“Think they’re safe enough. Time to go to work, partner.”

“I’m right behind you, partner!” 

* * *

Her mask lost and her gear cut to bloody strips, Misako stumbled on a tree root in the flame-lit darkness, nearly impaling herself on her own blades. Kyokō grabbed her clothing and pushed her upright, trying to haul her forward into darker cover, and they collapsed on top of each other, gasping in the crook of a large tree bole.

“Fucking Seiros, Misako! Did you fart!? What was that explosion?” Kyokō almost yelled.

“That wasn’t me!” Misako protested automatically. She glanced around, up in the trees, then back behind them. Fortunately, the giant gout of flames had discouraged any further pursuit by the bandits. “That was magic. Remember how we’ve seen Lysithea and that Annette chick perform magic drills?”

“Huh, I guess you’re right. But if you didn’t do it, and I didn’t do it,” gasped Kyokō, ripping off her own mask to breathe. Her light orange hair, free from ribbons or ties, tumbled everywhere. “Who the fuck did?”

“Someone’s watching us,” Misako hissed through her teeth, unlocking her wrist blades and retracting them, peering up at the trees. “If they can do that, they can smoke the Boss and his kids right there.”

“But why attack the bandits? And save us?” asked Kyokō in confusion.

“Dunno. Just got a feeling that the boss is gonna need us. Night’s not over yet, Kyokō. Let’s move.”

“Can I at least rob those guys who got blasted?”

“No time, sorry. But I’ll buy you some Peach Sorbet tomorrow at the dining hall,” Misako promised with a smile.

“Oohh, ice cream!” giggled Kyokō.

The girls ran off into the night, angling their path southwest. Behind them, they heard dying screams from the remaining wounded bandits, and they shuddered and counted themselves lucky.

* * *

“We appear to have dropped all immediate signs of pursuit,” Edelgard spoke, the only sign of her fatigue a light sheen on her brow, her breathing deep and even. “And while we rest, I want some questions answered, Claude.”

Claude shrugged in the dim early morning shadows where he leaned against a tree. “About what, Princess? My two retainers, I presume?”

“Yes. It is suspicious that we are attacked and those two just happen to conveniently warn us.”

Giving a laugh that was more of a wheeze, Claude said, “Heh, Princess your mind is as twisted as a ball of yarn after twelve kittens have played with it. Those two aren’t capable of anything like that.”

Dimitri frowned from where he stood guard, lance in hand. “Did you order them to watch over you, then?”

“You think I have any control over that pair? They may call me “Boss,” but if you noticed, who was bossing who around?”

“You can’t honestly make me believe that the so-called schemer is completely innocent in this affair,” scoffed Edelgard, bringing her axe back to her shoulder.

“I can’t lie to make you believe me, I can’t be honest to make you believe me, so I guess I’ll just have to be content with your eternal mistrust,” Claude smiled sadly. Gazing up at the heavens between the trees, he slowly rotated until he caught his bearings once more. “This way is southwest. Let’s keep running. Our attackers can’t be too far behind...unless you want to stay behind and risk your life in one of my calculated evil schemes, Princess?”

Edelgard brought her axe to bear in the dimness and stepped forward.

“We must trust one another for now,” demanded the blonde Prince grimly, stepping between them. “With the morning, Edelgard, we may see more clearly.”

“Very well. I see I am outvoted. Lead the way, Claude.”

* * *

Misako and Kyokō ran as fast as they could in the darkness, the dawn creeping over the stars and mountains to give them some semblance of visibility. But their wounds from their earlier skirmish slowed them down, and soon they could see the bandits attacking and setting fire to the village where Claude was seeking shelter.

“Shit! We’re not gonna make it!” growled Misako, huffing for air.

“C’mon Kyokō...ice cream, ice cream, ice cream,” Kyokō chanted to herself, trying to keep her feet pumping over the forest trail.

Soon they were close enough to hear the clash of steel and the yells of people engaging in combat, backlit by the buildings on fire. A rider on horseback in an orange tabard was shouting orders, directing his troops in grey armor against the black and brown clothed bandits.

Misako staggered the last few steps to the melee, extending her wrist blades and sending both points into the kidneys of the closest bandit. Yanking the blades free from the dying man, she regarded the man who had been fighting him warily as he regarded her. “Who’re you fer?” he barked at her.

“Against these bandit assholes! They attacked my boss!” gasped Misako at him, on her last legs. Turning away from him, she looked for another bandit to attack.

Beside her, Kyokō was thunking her kanabō into every bandit head she could see, knocking out three in the span of ten seconds. “ICE CREAM!” she screamed with her eyes shut, half-delirious from blood loss and fatigue. The grey uniformed warriors backed away in alarm from her berserk fury.

“Whoa!” yelled a giant bear of a man as he grabbed her kanabō in mid-swing, holding it tight in a mailed glove. She opened her eyes. A scowling, scarred, lightly bearded face looked down at Kyokō’s bloody form. “Who are you kids? Are you cadets too?”

“Let Kyokō go!” demanded Misako, cutting her last opponent’s throat and approaching the large man, her blades extended. The man watched her calmly as Kyokō weakly tried to jerk her weapon free from his grip. Misako snarled and tried to lunge forward and attack, but the big man’s other hand shot out fast as a snake and grabbed her wrist with crushing force. With a flick of his arm, Misako found herself sailing through the air to land ten feet away, crashing on her back with a thud. A few seconds later, Kyokō fell to the ground next to her, equally stunned.

“That was a bad idea wasn’t it?” gasped Kyokō.

“Not our smartest plan...” muttered Misako.

The scowling Knight in orange leaned over them, Kyokō’s kanabō still on his shoulder. “I’m Jeralt the Blade-Breaker. Who the hell are you kids? Right answers only please.”

Misako brightened in recognition from the ground. “Oh hey! Yeah, we know you. You’re Leonie’s hero!”

“Huh? You kids know Leonie? From Sauin?” grunted Jeralt in confusion.

“Yeah, you’re the merc she name-drops constantly,” groaned Kyokō, clutching her ribs. “Have you seen three little snotty nobles anywhere? We’re looking for them. One of them’s our boss. Can I have my ice cream now?”

“Yeah sorry, by the way, I’m broke,” said Misako, trying to get up and falling back down.

“You’re a totes bitch.”

“You can take it.”

“Make me.”

Jeralt shook his head at the pair and looked back to the rest of his mercenaries. “Squad up. Let’s check on Byleth and those other three cadets. And someone get a healer or some vulneraries for these two.”

* * *

In the confusing aftermath of battle, it wasn’t until mid-morning that the duo finally reunited with their boss.

Moderately healed enough to walk and travel, Misako and Kyokō marched with the squad of Jeralt’s mercenaries guarding them. They had been disarmed, with the promise that their weapons would be returned eventually if their story checked out. Soon they found Claude and the other two royals enthusiastically chattering under a large oak tree, with a tall silent woman with blue hair armed with a sword and bow watching them as if standing guard.

“Hey boss!” Misako grinned and waved

“We made it!” Kyokō yelled, not to be outdone.

Claude grinned back at seeing them, accepting a dual high-five from his retainers. “Thanks girls. That could have ended in disaster without your warning. And look, we found these awesome mercenaries who helped save us! Along with you two. That’s one of their Captains, the Ashen Demon,” he said, indicating the quiet woman. “She’s amazing in a fight. I think you guys will like her.”

“Huh, I guess we found her Dad,” explained Kyokō. “Jeralt the Blade-Breaker. More like Back-Breaker. He’s pretty strong too. Maybe we got turned around and hit the wrong side of the village, Misako.”

“Probably,” sighed Misako, groaning in pain and cracking her back. “I know we weren’t supposed to follow you, boss, but we won’t get expelled, right?”

“I will conciliate to machinate all of my plenteous manipulations to consummate such a sequelae,” nodded Claude gravely to both of them.

The girls stared at their House Leader, sweating.

“That means I’ll try,” he grinned apologetically.

“Hey! Who’s this? Captain! Did you winja some ninjas?” shouted a booming voice nearby. Jeralt’s groan echoed over the battlefield.

“Uh oh. Good luck girls,” whimpered Claude as he made his hasty exit. Dreading the presence behind their back, the girls turned around.

The man was only a few inches higher than them, but he was dressed in the gleaming armor of a Knight with an equally gleaming smile behind a goatee. Captain Alois. “Well, well, if it isn’t Misako and Kyokō Rivers! I didn’t expect to see you two this far downstream! I think both of you were supposed to be in school this morning, I don’t mean with the fish! Ha!”

Misako and Kyokō looked despondently at each other. They were dead.

* * *

Fortunately for them the next morning, after everyone had walked back to Garreg Mach, the monastery was in a general uproar over the bandit attack, as well as the Golden Deer Professor’s mysterious absence.

Their Professor’s disappearance had another advantage; it erased any linkage of Leonie or Marianne from their plot to sneak out. Both Misako and Kyokō breathed a sigh in relief at that and hoped their classmates were okay.

There were no sighs of relief when they found themselves dressed back in their academy uniforms, standing outside Lady Rhea’s audience chamber, with two broad shouldered Knights in full plate as their escorts. Both Misako and Kyokō fidgeted restlessly, trying to communicate with only their eyes but there was only one question.

_What are we going to do now?_

Their fear and anxiety increased by the moment, and then both girls fairly jumped when the audience doors opened and the blue haired mercenary girl stepped out, closing the door behind her. Azure eyes sized them up as they tried to meet that even, unblinking regard and failed.

“My papa said you two were good fighters,” the girl suddenly announced, her voice strangely toneless.

“We are!” Kyokō burst out, tears misting in her eyes. “We just wanted to protect Claude! We thought something bad was going to happen when he left, and we were right! We didn’t do anything wrong, and we risked our lives--” she broke off and started crying in earnest.

Misako hugged Kyokō without thinking about it, letting her cry it out on her shoulder. She shrugged when the merc’s flat gaze slid to her. “We’re not good about taking orders. I guess that’s it. We just owe our boss everything. He’s the reason we’re here, and we protect him for that.”

“Like an oath?” wondered the Ashen Demon.

Misako struggled with the concept, but finally nodded. “Yeah. We’re not chicken. We had a job to do. The monastery tried to stop us. So we went around them. That’s all.”

The blue haired girl--well, she was a woman, but she wasn’t _that_ much older than them it seemed like--appeared to tilt her head and listen for something. Nodding back to them, she said simply, “See you around.” and walked to the stairs to the first floor.

Kyokō sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve, watching the strange merc. “Huh. She’s weird. But she said ‘see you around.’ That means we’re not getting expelled, right Misako?”

“Guess we’ll find out,” muttered Misako, as the double doors opened for them.

They tried to walk inside with their usual swagger, but that wilted the instant they saw the glittering figure on the dais before them. 

Lady Rhea was the tallest woman they had ever seen, and also an exemplar of such beauty that even the gaudiest mortal garb and the most ostentatious hairstyles and jewels could not detract from it. Her white and blue robes draped gracefully over her form and her face showed nothing but perfect, holy serenity. Both girls instinctively knew that no games could be played here. Not with this divine goddess before them.

Without even thinking about it, both Misako and Kyokō threw themselves prostrate on their hands and knees, backs hunched as they awaited their punishment. From such a figure, it had to be deserved.

“Please rise, children. I do not demand nor deserve such obeisance. Please stand and attend,” said the beautiful, melodious voice of the Archbishop.

Trembling, the girls dared not move, until they felt small gentle hands touch their backs. A small girl with grass green curls smiled down at them and whispered, “Please listen to Lady Rhea. You may be surprised by the results of this meeting. Do not leap to foregone conclusions, I beg you.” Reluctantly, they allowed the strange girl in black antique embroidery to assist them in rising, and they stood shamefully at attention, awaiting their fate.

Seteth stepped forward then, looking at them as if he had been practicing frowns in front of the mirror all morning. “Allow me to read the list of charges, Archbishop,” he said gravely, producing a scroll from his belt and unrolling it.

“Please do, Seteth,” Rhea nodded her head.

“Breaking curfew. Leaving Academy grounds without permission. Engaging in live combat without permission or supervision. Interference with Knight operations. Reckless and negligent behavior leading to endangerment of self or others. Deceiving their immediate superiors. Enticement of fellow students into conspiracies.”

Misako and Kyokō’s faces fell at the last. Marianne must have confessed about her role in the scheme, overwhelmed with religious guilt.

The list of charges droned on and on, until Rhea finally waved for a halt when Seteth started listing the numerous uniform violations. She addressed the pair again as they shook in fear. “These are serious offenses, yet here at the Academy, we do strive for fairness, and look for extenuating circumstances. Knights Cassandra and Shamir, step forth.”

Misako and Kyokō started in surprise when two figures presented themselves from one of the shadowy alcoves of the chamber. One was an enormous blonde woman wearing a white gi who appeared to be pure jaw and muscle. The other was a violet haired pale woman in a dark gi who was leaner and shorter than her companion, although her quiet poise made her appear even deadlier.

“My Knights. Have the students performed any actions that would excuse these charges, many of which could possibly lead to expulsion from the Academy?”

Kyokō let out a quiet sniffle, while Misako’s red eyes bore into the pair. These two strangers held their fate in their hands.

The blonde woman smiled and nodded to them, then gave her speech like a battlefield report. “When faced with a superior foe, these two cadets risked their lives to warn their fellow students, then selflessly volunteered their lives to cover their escape. They were forced to retreat against the enemy, and attempted to draw them away from their fellow students once again, demonstrating peerless valor above and beyond the call of duty, despite their own wounds. Once disengaged from combat, they immediately pursued the superior foe while wounded to provide any and all assistance they could, entering an unknown combat zone without regard for their own safety. Speaking candidly, Lady Rhea, these two are the most skilled and bravest students I think I have ever seen at the Officer’s Academy.”

“Aside from yourself, Cassandra?” smiled Lady Rhea in amusement.

The Knight Cassandra coughed and blushed furiously, but nodded.

The violet haired woman in the dark gi motioned for permission to speak, and when granted, she added, “One more. Refusal to be forsworn in their duty to their sworn master when ordered by a third party. In this case, the third party being the Knights themselves.”

“That is completely unacceptable,” glowered Seteth.

“Did you _tell_ them that we were assigned as bodyguards to the three royals, Seteth?” asked Cassandra, folding her white arms.

He cleared his throat and looked away.

“I didn’t think so. And Shamir’s right, by forcing the girls to choose between Claude and the Church, they’re always going to choose Claude.” Cassandra’s blue eyes bore into Misako and Kyokō. “Right girls?” she winked.

Kyokō began timidly, “Well, _yeah_...he’s our boss. We’re his bodyguards. We can’t protect him unless we’re with him.”

Misako was beginning to get some of her bravado back. “You guys were the ones helping us the other night! Shooting those arrows to cover us and that fireball! Wow! That was amazing!” she gushed, stars shining in her eyes.

Shamir turned to the Archbishop. “Sometimes the Church’s penchant for secrets and security gets us into more trouble than it’s worth. This is one of those times.”

Rhea nodded. “I am inclined to agree. There is fault with both parties. However, there must be some measure of discipline and restraint, before we can repair this trust.”

Cassandra and Shamir looked at each other speculatively, before Shamir said, “Misako. Kyokō. You grew up in a dojo, correct?”

Automatically both girls bowed. “Yes. We were inside students for eight and half years,” said Kyokō.

“I was for nine, but who’s counting,” shrugged Misako.

Cassandra grinned. “Sounds like you girls just need new Masters.” Shamir simply nodded to them.

Misako and Kyokō’s eyes grew big and round and wide.

“But,” interrupted Seteth, folding his arms, “there must be _some_ disciplinary measures taken.”

* * *

“Whoa, Misako!” grinned Caspar as he held out his plate. “You like food so much you volunteered for kitchen duty?”

“I did _not_ volun _teer_ ,” grumped Misako, her black hair tied back in a bun and covered with a white mesh cloth net, as she heaped vegetable and beef stir fry from the serving pan onto his plate.

“C’mon, you know me, you can do better than that! I’m a growing boy,” snickered Caspar, his teal eyes merry.

“You’re going to be a rapidly exsanguinating boy if you don’t get out of my face. Next!”

Nearby, Kyokō was trying to make the best of it while chatting with Marianne and Leonie.

“Oh sure, it may be for three whole months,” beamed Kyokō, rapidly chopping vegetables with a chef’s knife, her own hair bundled up in a voluminous net. “But this is kind of homey in a way. We did stuff like this everyday at the dojo, so it’s no biggie. Although cooking for hundreds of people is an adjustment. But Claude’s okay, we got new Masters now, and you guys are okay too. No harm no foul.”

Marianne couldn’t bear to look at her. “I’m so sorry. When the Professor disappeared, they started questioning everyone in the monastery…”

“Not your fault,” sang Kyokō, waving her knife around (and causing her classmates to back away at step). “We were too hard on you, Marianne. And don’t worry, things worked out! We got to fight the Back-Breaker and everything!”

“ _Blade-_ breaker!” corrected Leonie with a huff, crossing her arms. “Are you all _sure_ he’s here? I’ve asked everywhere but all them Knights are being super stuffy about it. Even Captain Alois, and you know how loud and stupid he can be.”

“I think it’s something to do with the missing Prof, but not sure what,” said Kyokō, sending another tray of mixed vegetables onto the hot skillet. Stirring them, she added, “Jeralt brought his daughter along with him too. The Ashen Demon. Weird chick, but kinda cool. Not sure what to make of her. Maybe you can ask her about him.”

“Maybe I will! C’mon, follow me Marianne, let’s go find her.” Leonie grabbed Marianne’s hand and she stomped off, the other girl following her like a stumbling colt.

Kyokō was soon absorbed in the routine of frying, steaming, chopping, and cleaning that it took her senses a moment to alert her to the presence in front of her.

Felix.

Glaring, as per usual.

“So. Guess you won’t have as much time to train ever since your little adventure.”

“Eh. Guess not,” she smiled.

“Feh. Why risk your life for a bunch of royal brats?”

Kyokō tilted her head at him, considering. “Why bother to train in the first place?”

“To become stronger.”

“And if you get really really strong and then don’t do anything with it, how is that different from weakness?” wondered Kyokō, popping a stray carrot slice into her mouth.

Felix’s muscles bunched up in his jaws as he looked away.

“Wanna train in the mornings then? Before class?” she grinned at him, dumping another pan of fried vegetables into the serving tray.

“Fine. 7 am. Be there.” He turned his heel and strode away.

Kyokō was scraping the pan for the next load of vegetables when two more students approached her. It was kind of amazing how kitchen duty made you so popular. Or maybe it was because you were a captive audience.

It was the tall redhead noble and blonde banged noblewoman. Both of them Blue Lion friends of Felix.

“Um, what? Are you here to warn me off from Felix? I get it, I’m a commoner street girl…” Kyokō sighed as she started chopping again.

“What? Huh? Oh no, no, nothing like that! Well, maybe the first part but not for that reason…” stammered the redhead.

The blonde noblewoman had a pinched look on her face that made her look as if she had consumed an entire lemon tree. “Look, we’ve noticed you hanging out with Felix, but he’s been _really_ moody after every time you’ve talked with him. We’re not trying to warn you, just explaining to you why he acts this way.”

“He’s made a whole bunch of assumptions about the world,” said Kyokō innocently, popping another veggie into her mouth. 

The redhead looked indignant but then said, “That’s...fair. Brutal, but fair. But just hear us out please.”

She paused in her chopping. “I’m not looking to make babies,” said Kyokō seriously, carefully pointing the knife at both of them. “Misako and I aren’t like that. So don’t say it. Don’t even fucking _think_ it.”

Redhead wanted to speak again, but Blondie looked like she was leaning hard on something, likely his foot. She actually smiled a little, too, making her much more attractive. “Glad to hear it. But it’s something else entirely. Have you ever heard about the Tragedy of Duscar?”

* * *

Cleaning up after the evening meal took another solid two hours for the girls. Taking pity on them, Hilda and Lysithea showed up with thank you presents for rescuing Claude.

“You know, I thought _I_ would have to be Claude’s retainer this year, since he was so goofy and out of it,” smiled Hilda, holding two wrapped boxes in her hands.

“We noticed,” Misako and Kyokō deadpanned.

“Well you two are so sweet to save him just the same. It’s a big job you’ve taken on! And there’s a reason Claude needs two retainers!”

“Maybe we should just work in shifts,” grumbled Misako, washing another pan of dishes with a coarse brush.

“I call day shift!” exclaimed Kyokō instantly.

“H-hey! I was just making a suggestion!”

“Too late!” smirked Kyokō sweetly.

Hilda examined each of them in turn with vivid pink eyes alight with calculation. “You two are _adorable!_ Honestly, I could watch them all day. What do you think, Lysithea?”

“Don’t make me puke,” sneered the albino. “Although...they were there to protect Claude, and we weren’t. So I guess that demands _some_ token of recognition. You realize this is asking a lot of me!”

“Oh, just share it with them already, Lys!”

Misako and Kyokō paused in their scrubbing and drying to watch Lysithea reach up and set a tub of something on the high counter.

“There,” she announced. “It’s magically enchanted to never melt for a week. So that’s all the time you have to eat it! And I won’t be doing it again!” With a spin that billowed her silver hair in waves, she stamped from the room like a five year old.

Kyokō was the first to run over and open it, tearing off the lid. Her eyes dilated in pure rapture. “Ice cream!!” she squealed, digging a finger into the cold goo. Her face relaxed in joy as she sucked it into her mouth. “Peach…”

“You better leave me some, Kyokō, or I’m putting soap suds in your underwear drawer,” threatened Misako with the red glare of death, her hands still in the tub.

“I don’t care,” whispered Kyokō, her eyes closed in bliss and eating another bite off of her finger. “I’ve achieved Nirvana. Saint Seiros and her Four Saints will protect me from your wickedness.”

“Aw, be nice to her Kyokō,” giggled Hilda, shamelessly stealing her own bite. At that Kyokō finally closed the tub and cradled it in her arms protectively. Hilda shrugged and held out the boxes in her hands. “Then here’s _my_ gift. I think there’s enough to last you girls the next three months. I’ve got a feeling you’ll need it.” She placed the two items on the counter, side by side. Each had been wrapped and named individually. 

“Use two dabs every night and you should be just fine! Well, catch you later, girls! Maybe we can go shopping sometime!” With a flash of pink, Hilda wandered from the hall.

The two girls finished the last of the dishes and utensils as quick as possible, then ripped open into their new presents. They were briefly confused at the white matter in the containers.

“Grease?”

“Fat?”

Kyokō figured it out first after sniffing it. “Oh! It’s moisturizing lotion! For skin. Ugh, that’s true. Our hands are going to get really, really chapped from all of this scrubbing…”

“Ugh, and we’d lose our calluses! You’re right! But how much is too much?” wondered Misako, testing an experimental dab and rubbing her hands.

“Guess we’ll have to get Hilda to show us. In the meantime, get two spoons, Misako!” yelled Kyokō, holding up the tub triumphantly. “We have a date with destiny!”

Later in Kyokō’s room, the both fell back on the rug totally satisfied, an empty tub and clean spoons between them.

“What a crazy place,” murmured Kyokō, looking up at the ceiling.

“You’re telling me,” sighed Misako in happiness. “These were awesome presents. And Lady Rhea was surprisingly chill.”

“I guess they know we did something right. The dishwashing bit was probably just Seteth trying to keep us out of trouble.”

“Pfft. That old green wyvern doesn’t know us, then.”

“For real. I’m gonna make bank selling spare plates and silverware on the side. We’ll just blame it on Caspar breaking them.”

“Don’t go overboard, Kyokō.”

“Me? You’re the crazy one, Misako.”

“At least I’m not a klepto.”

“I just have an eye for business opportunities you don’t.”

“Heh.”

“Ha.”

The two girls sighed contentedly, almost ready to doze off. Eventually, Misako roused herself, stretching enormously and trying to untangle her legs from Kyokō’s. The other girl was a total dead weight however. She whined at the movement.

“C’mon, Misako...don’t fight it. Join me in postprandial bliss. Become one with the ice cream…”

“You’re a weirdo,” snickered Misako affectionately, eventually dragging herself free and standing.

Kyokō scoffed from the floor. “Please. As if I have anything on this menagerie of trauma. Compared to Marianne or Bernadetta, I’m a fucking Rock of Ages.”

“You’re the original weirdo then.”

“Well then, as the first weirdo you’ve known…”

“No doubt.”

“Can I ask a favor?”

Misako turned from where she had been almost ready to exit the room. Kyokō sat up and drew her knees up to her chin. Something in her voice seemed off as she went on. “I just...miss sleeping next to you. Y’know, like we did in the dojo. We’ve slept side by side for almost a decade.”

Misako swallowed hard. “Yeah,” she acknowledged.

Kyokō finally looked up at her with a tiny smile. “Do you mind? It’s been a little scary recently.”

Not wanting to freefall into pure mushiness, Misako laughed and scoffed, “Oh fine. Just one look at your sad blue eyes, of course I have to say yes.” She waved it off.

In the middle of her defensiveness, she missed the flash of sadness in Kyokō’s face. But when she looked back, her friend was all bright and cheerful again. “Great! See you here soon!”

In a few moments they were ready for bed, with Kyokō extinguishing most of her candles and lamps, when Misako entered dressed for bed. Kyokō smothered a laugh when she saw her. “I can’t believe you still wear men’s shorts and shirts to sleep in.”

“Shut up! It’s comfortable! Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” said MIsako defensively, not quite blushing.

“Oh fine,” Kyokō yawned cavernously. “Fuck I’m tired.” She waved to her bed. “After you, m’lady.”

Misako raised an eyebrow. “You want me next to the wall?”

“Anything to keep you from munching on my hair in the middle of the night.”

“That only happened once,” grumbled Misako, but she got in bed and settled in decently.

Kyokō climbed in behind her, snuggling close to her back. “G’night, landmass ass,” she mumbled sleepily.

Misako swallowed again, forcing a laugh. “Night, thunder thighs.”

In the dimming light as the lamp wick burned itself out, Misako wondered why she was so tense with something she had done hundreds of nights before throughout the years. Why was she so acutely aware of everything about Kyokō now, from her breathing tickling her back, to the scent of her bed (lavender and mint), from the scents of Kyokō herself (peaches and harsh dish soap), to the slightest touch of warmth to the back of her knee that made her all sweaty (why the back of the knee, of all Goddess-cursed places)?

In the midst of numerous unsettled feelings, she stared at the dormitory wall long into the night before falling asleep.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko: **cuddles**  
> Misako.exe has stopped working....
> 
> Peach Sorbet is of course not ice cream, but it's not like Kyoko knows that. I decided to run with the idea.
> 
> Cassandra and Shamir will explain their story in due time. Obviously a little AU from canon.
> 
> Thank you for being patient with me as I work on formatting issues. Finally figuring out what looks good in Google Docs doesn't look so hot when I post it in HTML. I'm an adult learner, go easy on me! 
> 
> Everyone stay safe and kick ass!


	4. Are You Mocking Me, Battle?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misako and Kyokō get a new Professor and new Masters.
> 
> But they are also immediately challenged in ways they do not expect...

Chapter 4

Are You Mocking Me, Battle?

Despite having no Professor, the Golden Deer class still gathered in their homeroom the next morning.

“Well?” Lysithea demanded Misako and Kyokō as they entered the classroom, followed by Claude. A nattering Lorenz was already bending his ear, and the bodyguards gratefully made their escape from the political debate.

“It was soooo good,” sighed Kyokō dreamily, patting her stomach for dramatic effect.

“Already gone!” laughed Misako with a grin. “Thanks Lysithea. That hit the spot.”

“Hmph! Greedy,” sneered Lysithea up at them, but they noticed her wide smile as she turned to sit back down. Hilda beamed and gave them a thumbs up.

Leonie was beckoning them over from where she was sitting with Marianne. When they came near, Leonie leaned over to whisper, “Marianne and I met that so-called Ashen Demon girl. You sure she’s the Captain’s daughter? She don’t look a thing like him.”

Shrugging, Kyokō said, “Maybe she’s adopted, like us.”

“No, she almost got mad when I assumed that. At least I think she got mad, ‘cause she looks at you like a braindead mule sometimes, then she says something so sharp it cuts to the bone,” muttered the hunter. She glanced over to her friend. “What did you think of her, Marianne?”

“I think she’s very special,” whispered Marianne.

“Damn. Savage. Bless her heart then, the poor Goddess-touched child…”

“What? Er, no, um, not like that. But what I mean is, she has a very strong presence and aura. Even I could feel it. But it’s tinged with a great deal of violence and guilt and sadness and confusion. I don’t think we should judge her too harshly,” Marianne explained earnestly.

The three other girls listened to Marianne at first in respect, then in awe. That was the most they had heard Marianne speak in...ever.

“Huh. Never thought of it that way,” wondered Misako after a moment. “But I’d guess a merc has seen some shit.”

Claude stood at the front of the room, making a shrill whistle with his teeth to grab attention. Misako and Kyokō hurriedly took their seats. Looking around the room, he said, “First off, let’s have a moment of silence for Professor...What’s-His-Face.” Claude paused. “Now let’s all breathe a deep sigh of relief!” The classroom laughed, and their House Leader waved for quiet. “I know it’s been a disappointing start to the semester, but that doesn’t change the fact that we have a strong class, one that’s going to become even stronger as the year goes on. Now, I may have been told some things in confidence, but let me assure you now: by this time tomorrow we will have a new Professor. Yes, I know who it is, and no, I can’t tell you. But it’s going to come in the nick of time for us to start training for the upcoming Mock Battle between the Houses.” This was met with a slight buzz of chatter, which Claude allowed, then he continued. “I opted for the five versus five format this year, along with the Princess, because we both have classmates in our Houses who need more field experience before I think they feel ready for a live drill. I hope no offense is taken, Marianne...and Lysithea,” he added at the end. The Lady Ordelia shot up bolt upright in an angry squawk, and the laughter and commotion hid Marianne’s grateful nod and blush to her House Leader. Leonie patted her friend’s shoulder comfortingly. 

“But,” smiled Claude, “just because we have no Professor, doesn’t mean we can’t come up with some preliminary strats of our own. I have here on the Professor’s desk a tactical map of our battleground, which will be in the fields and woods outside of Garreg Mach town. So if everyone could come up and take a peek at it…”

As chairs were being scooted back, Lorenz smoothly stepped forward first from his front row seat. “Excuse me, Claude. Ladies. May I have the floor for just a moment? It will take but an instant.”

“You’ve already taken longer than an instant, Lorenz,” Claude deadpanned. “But go ahead.”

“It is merely a token of appreciation, of the conspicuous performance and gallantry we have seen from our two most surprising classmates,” sniffed Lorenz, winding himself up for a speech. “As the future Lord Gloucester, it is my duty to recognize commoners of exceptional ability and reward them as a reflection of their merit and skill. Thus, for Misako and Kyokō, who have risked disgrace and dishonor from the Knights of Seiros in their duties towards the Leicester Alliance, I present to you these gifts.” He gave an ingratiating smile to them and deposited the small items in Misako and Kyokō’s eager outstretched hands, moving to stand next to Claude.

Kyokō and Misako were silent for a long moment, then looked up angrily.

“Well!?” burst out Hilda, overwhelmed with curiosity. “What did you girls get!? Can I see?” Leonie stood up in the second row to peek, then glared at Lorenz herself.

“A single gold coin?! What kinda noble leg-pullin’ is this?” she hotly demanded.

Misako growled and stood up to wind up for a throw, ready to send the gold coin through Lorenz’s skull. Claude dove for cover behind the desk.

Lorenz shrugged and said in a bland tone, “Look at the back, please Ladies.”

Kyokō grabbed Misako’s arm, already having flipped the coin over. “Wow, he’s right! Look Em!”

Cooling slightly, Misako examined the coin more closely. Something was embedded on the opposite side, and popped out when she pressed on it. A golden ring, set with a glowing amber gemstone.

The other girls had finally crowded around close enough to see. Hilda laughed at the sight and shook her head. “Lorenz, sweetie, you can’t marry _both_ of them.”

While Claude laughed as he stood back up and Lorenz turned beet-red, Lysithea piped up, eager to show off. “Oh, those aren’t engagement rings. They’re magical Evasion rings! They make it easier to dodge incoming blows and attacks! And to find two of them! Lorenz, how on earth did you manage that?”

Claude spoke up for the first time. “It was his idea actually, but he got one and I got the other. As a way of saying thank you to my retainers for saving my life yet again.”

Lorenz shrugged stiffly. “And it was Claude’s idea to make a prank out of it. At first I was against it, but then I had to bow to his wisdom. As he said, they who laugh at themselves will never cease to be amused.”

The girls stared at Lorenz for the longest time.

Then Kyokō brightly said, “Did you hear that gang? Lorenz said it was okay for us to help make fun of him! He’ll think it’s funny!”

“That is absolutely _not_ \--”

Hilda puffed up her cheeks. “‘Why does no girl want a date with a tall and exotic purple mushroom like me?’”

“I did not give the slightest _permission_ \--”

Misako stood ramrod straight on her tiptoes. “‘Why do I always look like I’m floating around with a stick up my arse?’”

“This is _completely_ uncalled for--”

Leonie flapped her hands around, looking scared. “‘Why do I have sponges for wrist bones?’”

Lorenz covered his red face in both of his hands, while Lysithea and Claude rolled on the floor with tears in their eyes. Even Marianne was giggling from her seat at her desk.

* * *

Despite the antics, the girls thanked Lorenz and Claude graciously enough afterwards, and the Deer managed to have a somewhat productive tactics session. Their main thrust was to use the woods and other assorted cover to their full advantage, drawing the Blue Lions into ambushes and baiting the Black Eagles into exposing themselves for Claude and Leonie to pick them off with arrows.

During the lunch hour, Kyokō left Claude in Misako’s care and walked to the training hall with her kanabō. To her relief, Felix was already there. Or more likely, was still there from where he had been all morning.

“You’re late,” he grunted, sweating as he executed a routine of attacks and parries on a training dummy with his sword.

“Sorry about that! As Claude’s retainer and with all my new duties, I’m finding myself overcommitted. Doesn’t leave a lot of time for private training time,” explained Kyokō, sitting on the edge of the stairs near the sand pit. Felix grunted, already in the midst of another exercise. “Besides, I was wanting to talk to you more than train.”

Felix finished his routine and thrust his sword into the sand pit. Kyokō obligingly tossed him a nearby towel. He glared at her while wiping sweat from his hair and face.

“This better not be what I think it’s about,” he told her.

“It kinda is and it kinda isn’t,” shrugged Kyokō. “Your friends are really protective of you, aren’t they?”

“They are,” he agreed. “And it’s annoying. Talking with you has been refreshing, because you don’t treat me like glass or bring it up constantly.”

“Then let’s keep it that way!” grinned Kyokō, leaning back. “I hope you can find it in your heart to excuse me from not wanting to get mixed up in your noble family tragic opera.”

Felix burst out laughing at that, turning heads across the entire training hall. “That about sums the past four years of Faerghus in a sentence! See, it’s stuff like this which makes me want to run away from the noble pretensions and farces. If a commoner like you can just see through the entire meaningless parody it’s become…” he shook his head as he still chuckled.

“‘The wise can learn more from a fool than a fool can learn from the wise,’” quoted Kyokō with a wink.

“Nice saying,” said Felix sarcastically.

“My old Master had a way with words,” replied Kyokō modestly. “But he also insisted that there’s no absolute truth, or consistent meaning.” She frowned in remembrance. “He said it so much better, but it was like how lies can become truths, and truths can become lies. Sometimes you have to believe the lie to make it the truth. That helped me early in my training at the dojo. I was so far behind Misako, and Master Abobo was so strong, I felt like I could never catch up.”

“So he praised you and encouraged you,” said Felix, sitting next to her. There was an intensity in his voice that normally wasn’t there. “Even if you didn’t necessarily deserve it.”

“Right!” she smiled back. “Something about the Will and the Way, but the Will had to come first. Eventually, they merged and became one.” Her smile turned a bit wistful. “Now that I’m here at Garreg Mach, I’m beginning to feel like I should have paid more attention to his sayings. You know, at one point Misako and I were dreaming about opening our own dojo. One just for girls like us.”

Felix was silent for a moment, absorbing this, when he said quietly, “I always thought I would join my brother in the King’s Guard. Maybe Sylvain would have joined us, too, and Ingrid would have been my sister-in-law. Dimitri would have had a chance to grow up and learn from his parents, and we would all be together in Fhirdiad. Just one big happy family.”

“That sounds like a wonderful dream,” said Kyokō softly. “Maybe it’s still there inside of you. You just have to want it again. And get the others to believe in it too.”

He shook his head rapidly. “No. The past is best laid buried. I’d rather focus on the present, and the future, than some childish fantasy.” He sat very still for a moment, then stood. Turning to sneer down at her, he asked, “Did you come here to do anything useful, or are you just going to get all maudlin on me?”

“Pot kettle,” Kyokō coughed loudly into her fist.

“What?” scowled Felix.

“Nothing!” she said brightly, setting her kanabō against a pillar. “Let’s start with some sparring, then.”

* * *

Misako leaned back tiredly against a monastery wall, dropping the ladle back into the water bucket, gasping for air.

“Hey...don’t...splash...need...water,” gasped Caspar next to her, using a shaky hand to try and take his own drink from the ladle.

“See? Told...you...we could do it…” she panted, wiping the sweat away that was stinging her eyes. “All..around...the monastery...in thirty minutes…”

The next few moments were quiet save for breathing and occasional slurps from the bucket. Finally able to speak, Misako looked at her training buddy. “Hey Caspar.”

“Yeah?”

“What’re you gonna do after you graduate? I mean, you’re basically gonna be a commoner, right?”

“Pretty much,” he shrugged. “I guess I’ll still need some campaign experience. May wander Fodlan for a bit, or do some travel overseas. I mean, there’s a whole world out there, isn’t there? At least my friend Lin says so.”

“Been a lot of wars recently though. Might get bad vibes from any Dagdans and Brigidish you meet,” Misako advised him.

“Yeah, I know.” Caspar looked morose. “I can’t help it that my dad was a hero in the last war and killed the Brigid Prince Addeir. I thought it was so cool at the time, when I was a kid.” Misako snickered at him, and he blushed. “Shaddup. You know what I mean. But I guess now I know better.”

“‘Cause of your classmate?” she prompted.

“Yeah. Petra. You’d like her, I think. She’s really skilled. Really smart, too. But so many people pretend she’s this trash foreigner when she’s clearly not, because she just mixes up some words sometimes. I mean, you’d think it’d be a bad idea to shit on someone who’s going to be the future Queen of your neighboring country?”

Misako looked out over the Oghma Mountains, watching the farms and villages nestled in the passes and valleys. “I dunno. People like to make themselves big. Sometimes the only way they can do it is by making everyone else feel small. Even if it’s the stupidest, most self-destructive thing they can do, they still do it because otherwise they’d have nothing to make them feel important.”

“Damn. Not to get personal, but sounds like you are speaking from experience,” grunted Caspar, taking another sip.

“A bit,” muttered Misako. “There’s always people out there who like to pick on others who can’t fight back. I saw my dad do that to my mom. And I remember it was weird because as a kid I didn’t really blame him. I’d get mad at her, because I thought it was her fault for being hit. Like she had a choice but he didn’t.”

“Arg! Your dad’s not still around is he?” yelled Caspar as he jumped up, his teal eyes burning. “I’ll fucking break his elbows, see how he likes that!”

“Eh, calm down, Cas,” she sighed and shook her head. “My mom’s dead; guess my dad is too, because I never saw him again. And I know better now. There’s people out who just can’t defend themselves, and all the blame lies squarely on the heads of the assholes who need daily beatdowns.”

“See, that’s why I hate bad guys! It should be that simple!” Caspar turned around in tight circles, fists clenched. “There’s so much injustice that goes on, all the time, and most people just stand around and take it and watch! Well I can’t! I can’t and I won’t! I don’t care if that won’t make me a noble!”

“Heh,” smirked Misako, watching him think about punching the vast monolithic walls of the monastery, and continually having to remind himself to not break his hand. “Not to get personal, but sounds like you’re speaking from experience now.”

“I am!” grimaced Caspar, throwing himself back down to sit on the grass. “I have a bunch of cousins and uncles and siblings, all because both my grandfather and my father married twice in their lives, so my family tree is a tangled mess. But almost all of them are no good. Only my Uncle Randolph and Aunt Fleche really understood how I felt. My dad tried to understand, but he was so caught up in politics at the Imperial Palace he always lost patience with me. He’d always tell me,” Caspar’s voice dropped an octave, “‘Caspar, it’s not so simple, there’s no easy solution here, Caspar,’ and it would just make me so angry. I kinda lost my temper with him the last time we spoke in person.”

“And that’s why you’re here, I’m guessing?”

Caspar flushed. He coughed, then said, “Yeah. I called my dad a coward.”

Misako’s red eyes went wide. “You called...the Imperial Minister of Military Affairs...a _coward_ ? To his _face_?”

“Yeah, yeah, I _know_ ,” he sighed. “Stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

Misako paused as she considered it. “I dunno,” she said with a twisted smirk. “My Master said there’s a fine line between stupidity and bravery. And it mainly comes down to whether or not you’re still around at the end of the day. I mean, look at what Kyokō and I did.”

“I’m still jealous you didn’t invite me along for that, by the way.”

“You see?” she chuckled. “The entire world’s going to try to make us change, but I think you’re gonna do just fine, Cas. Just try to limit the Dad Generals you call cowards to maybe once a lifetime.”

Caspar barked a laugh and they got up. He smiled brightly at her. “Now that we’ve gotten our run in, whaddya say we hit the weight room? I’ve suddenly got some more energy to burn!”

She smiled back and tousled his short teal hair as he laughed. “Lead the way, short stack, but you’re spotting me first.”

“Oh bullshit!” he grinned, shoving her playfully.

* * *

That evening, after they finally were done with the dishes, Misako and Kyokō dressed in their gis and made their way to the Knight’s training hall. It was smaller than the student training hall, but more intimate and private, with its own wide sand pit for matches. Cassandra and Shamir were already there, with the former practicing hand to hand combat on a wooden stick dummy, the latter meditating nearby on the floor in a lotus position. Familiar with the feel of the place, they removed their shoes at the entrance and made their way inside.

Shamir’s violet gaze snapped open as they approached. “Good. You’re here.”

“Yes ma’am,” they bowed low. They rose and waited obediently.

Shamir smiled and waved her hand around the room. “Like what we’ve done with the place?”

“It’s cute!” exclaimed Kyokō, looking around. “It’s like a little miniature dojo in a castle!” Across from the sandpit, the entire floor near a hearth and a bookcase had been matted and padded for safety.

“It took some convincing from me to get Lady Rhea to approve of the changes,” grinned Knight Cassandra, her blue eyes twinkling as she shook her blonde mane. “But once she saw the results on the field, she couldn’t say no.”

“I know you’re both curious about our history,” nodded Shamir. She rose and indicated mats where they could sit and speak. “We’ll explain and set some ground rules, then maybe get some light sparring in.” The girls’ eyes lit up in excitement, and they eagerly rushed and sat at their appointed places, trying to project calm and discipline.

Cassandra sighed as she sat next to Shamir, who remained as composed as ever. “Okay, I’ll go first, since the story kinda begins with me. I graduated from the Officer’s Academy nine years ago, as a noble from the House of Charon in the Kingdom. More than anything else, I wanted to prove myself worthy of wielding our House Relic, Thunderbrand, since I bear a minor Crest of Charon.”

“You’re Crested?” blurted Misako in surprise.

Fortunately, no one minded the lapse and Cassandra laughed. “I know, I make a poor image of a Fodlan noblewoman, don’t I? I should have been on my fifth or sixth kid by now.” Shamir gave a light snort next to her. “But growing up, more than anything else I wanted to be a warrior. A fighter. And halfway through my training at the Academy, I had the great honor and fortune to meet my Master, who set me on a new path. One that would make me into a weapon and not become reliant on one. I’ll always be grateful to Master Zangan.”

The girls’ eyes flew open.

Kyokō gasped. “You trained under Master Zangan?” she asked eagerly.

“He’s a legend! He’s supposed to be the greatest in the whole world!” gaped Misako. “Is he still around?”

“Can he sign my shirt?” begged Kyokō.

“Easy, easy,” laughed Cassandra. “He’s probably off wandering the world again, the crazy old coot. He stayed here for a year in 1171, often locked in Lady Rhea’s audience chamber all afternoon. I think they enjoyed the religious tete a te.”

Shamir cleared her throat. “And you know my theory.”

Rolling her eyes, Cassandra said, “I doubt Lady Rhea and Master Zangan were sparring that entire time.”

“And I keep telling you, she moves like a disciple of the Way.”

Misako and Kyokō’s faces grew confused, and Cassandra qualified. “Excuse my partner here. She seems to think that Lady Rhea is the strongest martial artist on this continent. Just by the way she moves.” She smiled in fond exasperation at the other woman. “You see much that I completely miss, but I think that one’s way off.”

Shamir finally shrugged. “We’ll see.”

Cassandra went on. “Anyway, yes, I learned under Master Zangan for six months, and by the end of it, I had no need for my family’s Relic. Or for any weapon, for that matter. He managed to unlock the Flame Spirit within me, and now I can conjure fire at will, in addition to my healing abilities.”

“Fire?” grinned Misako brightly.

“Healing?” whispered an enchanted Kyokō.

In response, Cassandra pointed at the hearth, where a warm fire crackled. A small ball of dancing flames emerged from the fireplace, moving across the room to shine merrily in the Knight’s bare palm. The girls leaned forward in fascination as Cassandra held the flame.

“This is the power of a War Monk,” said Cassandra, her own voice unconsciously lowering. “We have no need for Reason textbooks, or sigils, or formulas or ley lines or any of that nonsense. The magic is within us, based on the unity of our mind, body and spirit.”

Shamir raised a pale finger at the flame in her partner’s hand, and a sharp gust of cold wind blew it away in a flash.

“Whoa,” the girls breathed at the display.

“My turn,” smiled Shamir at the pair. “As you can tell, I’m not originally from around here. I was a student of the Way following my Master when he volunteered for the Dagda-Adrestia War. We were part of the invasion force that...destroyed House Nuvelle,” she said darkly, her face clouding over. She closed her eyes. “It was a slaughter, and I almost lost faith, but he convinced me to stay and keep using my bow and my skills for the Khannate. We then participated in the Battle of Port Hevring.”

“And the Dagdans lost that battle, right?” Kyokō asked, remembering Claude’s history lessons.

“Yes. They did. For every horror we had unleashed on House Nuvelle and House Ochs, we were repaid twice in kind by the Empire. My Master was killed, and I was left for dead. I managed to survive the following winter, but by spring obviously there were no boats going back to Dagda. I’m not even sure if there’s a home left for me there. I’ve heard the Empire was pretty thorough in their revenge against Brigid and Dagda. So I made my way here. And found something new,” she explained, reaching out and squeezing Cassandra’s hand.

The blonde Knight smiled back softly. “Thanks to some fast talking on my part, I managed to get Shamir accepted into the Knights. We struggled working together at first. Butted heads a whole bunch of times, actually, but between the two of us, we managed to complete her training. Now we’re the best Knights that Lady Rhea has, and we’re trying to train more of them in the Way.” 

“Have you trained any other officer cadets?” wondered Misako curiously.

“There was one,” nodded Cassandra. “He managed to complete it in a year, too, but he’s been missing ever since. He was a Golden Deer as well. Balthus von Abrecht. Dunno if you ever heard of him back in Derdriu?”

The girls shrugged and shook their heads.

Shamir shrugged and said, “So for ground rules. Obviously we can expect you to maintain discipline here. We expect you to behave towards us as your own Master.” The girls nodded. “Cassandra and I often go out on missions, so we can’t promise a consistent training schedule. But we’ll aim for training sessions at least twice a week. We can’t completely override your education here at Garreg Mach. But once you graduate, you’d be welcome to stay with us as long as you please.”

“Would we have to become Knights?” asked Misako suspiciously.

“Completely up to you,” assured Cassandra. “This training is unconditional. We’re not holding you to any oaths, or vows. Only that you continue to defend the weak and use your power wisely for the greater good, like any disciple of the Art.” The girls nodded once more.

The Knights rose, the cadets following suit. “Well, enough exposition time. I think we’re ready to get down and dirty, don’t you girls?” grinned Cassandra, flexing her fingers together. Shamir merely nodded once to them.

Misako and Kyokō grinned back excitedly.

* * *

Thumps rained down on Kyokō’s door. Leonie’s voice came through the door. “Oi, Kyokō! Claude told me he was worried you guys were still in bed when you didn’t escort him to class this morning! Wake up!” 

“Coming!” she called back, finally awake.

Kyokō groaned as she rolled free of her sheets, wincing as she swung her legs down to the floor. Her body felt like that of a 90 year old. She was so sore and stiff she could barely move to her chamber pot, much less get dressed in a uniform with any kind of alacrity. Grimacing at the sight of fingertip bruises from cast-iron grips all over her body, she staggered over to the door, barely able to reach up and tie her hair behind her head.

Outside the dormitory, Misako was leaning hard against the wall, in no better shape than herself. Dark circles under each eye made her look like a raccoon, and her lip was swollen to twice its size. Despite all of that, the two Golden Deer students knew Cassandra and Shamir had been going easy on them.

“I can’t wait until we learn how to heal,” groaned Kyokō, dragging her kanabō on the ground.

Misako tried to lean from the wall, then hissed as something twinged in her back. “Lean on me the way to class?” she offered, holding out her arm.

“Is that for your benefit or mine?”

“Mine, duh.”

“Bitch,” muttered Kyokō, leaning hard into Misako’s shoulder.

“You know it,” chuckled Misako under her breath. “Let’s go meet the new Professor.”

* * *

Claude winced at the sight of them inside the Golden Deer homeroom. “Whoa! Um, wow.” He clicked his tongue and pointed at them. “Okay, I know you guys like being Leicester’s Ultimate Warriors or whatever, but I am _not_ jeopardizing our chances in the Mock Battle just because some Knights were having you punch down trees or wrestle Dire Wolves or doing whatever mystical training you’re up to in the middle of the night. Hey Marianne!” he called.

In short order, the shy tall noblewoman was summoned over, and healings were administered to each retainer. Kyokō and Misako soon felt much better, although it did nothing to spare them their fatigue. They took their seats in the second row behind Claude and Lorenz, trying to cozen any secrets of the Professor’s identity from their House Leader. The Duke’s heir simply grinned and said, “Just wait. I don’t want to spoil it.”

The double doors to the classroom banged open. Without the slightest pause or hesitation, the tall blue haired woman closed them again, then swept into the room, her sword clanking on her belt. Whispers erupted all around her.

“Her?!” growled Leonie, face flushed in rage.

“Oh wow,” smiled Hilda, leaning with her hands on her cheeks.

“Really now…” murmured Lorenz, his eyes narrowed.

“You’ve _got_ to be kidding me,” groaned Lysithea, falling face first into her open spellbook.

The young new Professor ignored it all, her voice a flat inflection that nevertheless demanded attention. “Good morning, Deer. I’m Professor Eisner. Lady Rhea selected me to be the new Professor of the Golden Deer, and I asked to be placed with this class specifically because I think there’s many things we can learn from each other,” said Professor Byleth, nodding to Misako and Kyokō as she said this. “I know I’m young, but I believe in doing, not reading, makes for the best soldier, so we will not spend a great deal of time here. We’ll be in the training hall most mornings, practicing our skills and reflexes.”

At that, most of the objections of the class subsided. Books and essays might be necessary for Certification exams, but the practicums carried more weight than any written test for most classes. Only magic using classes had equally weighted essay and practicum portions.

“Because Claude and I must participate in the upcoming mock battle a week from now, I will be undertaking intensive field training with the following three students. Please note that this selection is not a reflection of your worth or merit: it is simply the current combination I believe that has the best chance of winning.”

Misako and Kyokō smirked at each other. While they had not been near Professor Eisner, they had shared the battlefield with her father, and had already been complimented by her. It was obvious they were both a shoo-in for the battle.

“Leonie.” The village hunter straightened her back and smiled proudly. Next to her, Marianne smiled as well.

“Kyokō.” Kyokō pantomimed blowing kisses to a crowd.

Misako grinned and waited for her name, and both her and Kyokō gaped in shock when their new Professor spoke..

“Hilda.”

“What?!” shouted Misako, standing up.

“What?!” said Kyokō, baffled.

“What?!” screamed Hilda in shock.

Professor Eisner stared at each of them, then shrugged slightly, as if she had anticipated this reaction. “Claude, get the team together to discuss preliminary tactics. Lorenz, Lysithea, group together and start working on your Reason skills. Marianne, stay near them and read your Faith textbook. Misako, come outside with me and we’ll talk.”

Uncertain, Kyokō walked over with the others towards Claude, her blue eyes worried for her best friend. Misako clenched her jaw and waved to her friend to go on. She’d deal with this crazy merc Professor by herself.

Once they were outside, Byleth closed the doors and pointed towards the path to the gardens. “Walk with me for a bit,” she said quietly. Misako seethed to herself but followed.

They strolled through the quiet monastery gardens, with Misako fuming and glaring at the Professor the entire time. But after being nearly expelled, she didn’t want to alienate someone else from the Church this soon, and possibly lose out on her training from Cassandra and Shamir. So she managed to stay silent while the Professor walked around the garden paths, seemingly at random.

Abruptly, the Professor said, “I know what you’re going through.”

“Do you?” said Misako with acid sarcasm.

Byleth nodded as if she had replied honestly. “I do. My papa was just reinstated as Knight-Captain of the Knights of Seiros. I’ve never fought a battle away by his side. This is the first time I’ve ever been away from him.”

“So you’re scared without daddy to hold your hand?” Misako jeered.

Again Byleth didn’t notice. Or simply didn’t care. She nodded again. “I am. Just like you’re scared to be away from Kyokō.”

Caught off guard, Misako tripped over her next words. “Wha-? No, it’s nothing like that. Pfft, I’m not scared to be away from Kyokō! You’re mixed up in the head.”

Byleth tilted her head at her. “Then why are you so upset?”

“Because we’re...a team! We work better together and…! Look, I’m just better than Hilda, and you know it!”

Again, Byleth surprised her by agreeing. “That’s probably true.”

“Then why?” Misako asked angrily, almost begging. “I don’t understand at all, really. You need me and Kyokō to win, so let’s win!”

For the first time, Byleth sighed and looked down. “Because this won’t be the only battle. I admire both of you for your skills. But more than anything else, I need to see if you two can work separately from each other. If you can both be self-reliant and trust me on the battlefield, even when you’re not next to each other. That I can rely on one and hold the other in reserve if need be.”

Byleth stopped and gazed straight into her eyes. Misako tried to meet them, and challenge those ocean deep depths with her own, and for the first time succeeded somewhat.

“Okay, I hear you. I get it now,” the street girl nodded. “I don’t like it, and never will, but I understand. You think that us being together is unhealthy. Like we’re codependent.”

Shaking her head, Byleth qualified for her. “You’re not that bad. But it could get to that point. And on a live battlefield, if I’m in command, the entire team will need both of you to function independently. I might need you to stay behind and protect Lysithea and Marianne while I send Kyokō to extract Claude. I may need you to lead a team on your own while Kyokō and I flank the enemy from the other side. I don’t mind the relationship you have. But it can’t supersede my authority. Understand?”

Misako looked up and around the gardens, trying to let the greenery and birds and scents of blooming flowers calm her. This stupid merc was completely blowing things out of proportion. But at the same time, she knew she couldn’t keep running to Kyokō all the time if things were going south, especially on a battlefield. She knew that on an intellectual level. Emotionally, however...she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, finally calming herself.

Opening them, she said, “I do, but on one condition. Please go and tell Kyokō your reasoning as well. She’s the smart one, she’ll get it faster than I did, if she hasn’t already.”

“Deal,” nodded Byleth in her uncanny manner. She talked normally enough, from what Misako could hear. But her damn face didn’t flick a single muscle as she spoke. She wasn’t even sure if she blinked. “Let’s head back and I’ll walk with her too.”

* * *

Kyokō was all smiles in the classroom after her own meeting with the Professor, but that evening, after a whirlwind day of training, chores, and practice with their new Masters, Misako and Kyokō showed up and the last place they expected to be. 

In front of Hilda’s door.

The door opened almost immediately at their knock and Hilda smiled sincerely upon seeing them. “Hiya girls! Here to chat about the new professor? We’ve been at it for a while, honestly!” she winked while motioning them inside. To their surprise, Lysithea and Marianne were already seated inside the room, with the younger girl brushing the numerous tangles out of Marianne’s hair while it was down, her voice an agitated tirade.

“Honestly, how do you let this happen? Do you fall asleep while your hair is still tied up?”

“S-sometimes…”

“Ugh! Really? It’s like you’re trying to make my life difficult. Hilda, do you have a finer toothed comb?”

Feeling out of their element, Misako and Kyokō crowded into the room, sitting on the far bookshelf/desk (which was conveniently bare aside from Hilda’s accessories), as they watched Hilda and Lysithea both fuss over Marianne’s hair, all the while effortlessly chatting. Misako nudged Kyokō, wanting her to speak up, and eventually she did.

“Could...could one of you brush my hair as well?” she asked shyly.

“Not what we were here for, Kyokō…” grumbled Misako. However, she just watched as Hilda happily took Kyokō by the hand over to the edge of her bed, undoing her ribbon and ponytail to examine the flame colored tresses with a critical pink eye.

“You’ve got such a vivid color, Kyokō! It’s almost the same as Leonie’s, but she won’t hear a thing about growing it out. She keeps saying stuff about keeping it short for fighting,” said Hilda while touching her classmate’s hair, fluffing it out.

“So what did the Professor talk to you two about in private?” Lysithea asked them with avid interest.

Misako looked at Kyokō, then said slowly, “Well...that’s kinda why we’re here. We weren’t expecting to be broken up for the mock battle.”

“We’ve always been a team,” Kyokō explained distractedly, like she was thinking hard about something.

“Oh that’s okay,” said Hilda, waving an atomizer of water around as she moistened Kyokō’s hair. “I’ll just be sick or injured that day. You can have my spot, Misako, no problem!”

“That’d be great, normally. But the Professor said something to us…”

“Like what?”

Kyokō said softly as Hilda combed her hair, “Do you girls think Misako and I are too...close? To each other?”

All motion in the room ceased as the other girls looked at them. Marianne looked up from where she had picked apart her fingernails in her lap. It was like a still life.

Surprisingly, the blue haired healer spoke up first. Very firmly. “I don’t believe so. I think what you two have is very nice. You’re like a family. Does Professor Eisner understand that?”

“She _says_ she does,” said Misako, curling up and putting her chin on her knees. “It’s just...we’ve never fought on our own in like...ever.”

“Off the battlefield, do whatever you please,” huffed Lysithea dismissively, untying a tangle in Marianne’s hair, not too gently and ignoring her soft plaintive cries. “On the battlefield, you will have to do what the Professor orders. She was likely simply preparing you for that.”

“It must be a big adjustment,” said Hilda sympathetically, rearranging a large strand on Kyokō’s hair. “But _I_ don’t think you guys are too close. If anything, you’re not close _enough_.”

“Hil _da_ …” Lysithea hissed. Marianne was putting her face into her hands and shaking her head.

Kyokō glanced at Misako and then the others with worry.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” demanded Misako, standing up.

“Oh nothing!” sang Hilda sweetly, rapidly stroking through Kyokō’s hair with the brush. “It’s just that you’re both in a new school for the first time in forever, and now you have all these extra jobs, just a month into the semester! You’re Claude’s bodyguards, you’re students of the Knights, you train or work out with your little school buddies, you do our dishes every night...but I don’t think either one of you have had the chance to sit down and really just relax and talk with each other and reconnect. Doing absolutely _nothing_.” She made it sound like the most wonderful thing in the world.

“Absolutely nothing?” said Kyokō, slightly turning her head. Hilda made a spare sound of displeasure, and she moved back. “Like, just hang out? All day?”

“Exactly! When’s the last time the two of you had a free day, just to yourselves, with no one else demanding your time? Just eating whatever you want, or going outside to pick flowers and make silly crowns, or having tea together and people watching, or reading a book with each other side by side?”

Kyokō and Misako looked speculatively at each other. “Have we ever done anything like that?” asked Misako slowly.

“We watched that travelling opera in the Noble District from the rooftops that one time. About two years ago,” Kyokō said thoughtfully.

“Oh yeah! And we stole a whole bunch of candy from the Riverside confectionary when we were like fifteen,” grinned Misako. “We brought it all back to our rooms and ate ourselves sick. I thought Master Abobo was gonna stroke out when he found us the next morning.”

“See, this is what Hilda’s talking about,” lectured Lysithea. “You girls can’t just do stuff like that once a year or so. That doesn’t solve, er, I mean help you at all. If you want _my_ advice, I urge both of you to take a free day to yourselves at least once a month. Once every two weeks would be better.”

“A day off…” murmured Misako, her thoughts far away.

“We can do that here?” wondered Kyokō, her voice worried.

“Girls! Honestly! Every Sunday is a free day here at Garreg Mach, for all students! How are you just learning this now, almost a month into the semester?” gasped Hilda in amazement.

Misako shrugged stiffly. “I dunno. We were always following Claude around, keeping him out of trouble. He’d usually spend all day in the library, and we’d try to practice magic with the books he gave us.”

Standing, Hilda pointed the hairbrush like it was a deadly weapon at both of them. “Sunday is your day off. No excuses. I’ll guard Claude on those days if it’s so important to you. But you two are getting a free day. It’s just as important to relax as it is to train and study!”

“Just not _all_ the time, like some nameless pink-haired people do,” snarked Lysithea, tugging at another teal blue strand. Marianne bit her lip.

“Oh be quiet! We are having an intervention here, if you didn’t notice!” protested Hilda.

Kyokō was already bouncing on Hilda’s bed in excitement at the thought of a free day. “Ohh, what should we do, Misako?”

“Whatever you want is cool, Kyokō,” Misako said, just glad her friend was smiling again.

“Yup, do whatever you enjoy! Just make sure it’s something special, something that both you and your partner can get into!” smirked Hilda, tying up Kyokō’s air again. 

Lysithea snorted in smothered laughter. Marianne sighed and tore into another fingernail.

* * *

The day of the mock battle rapidly approached, and Misako glumly resigned herself to cheer from the sidelines with Lorenz, Marianne, and Lysithea. Kyokō gave her bestie an encouraging hug through her padded armor, then followed Professor Byleth and the rest of the Golden Deer team to their assigned spot on the field. Leonie was already watching the gathering on the far ridgeline, shielding her eyes from the noon sun.

“Captain Jeralt’s gonna be our judge? Ooh man! Professor, why didn’t you tell me? This is makin’ me nervous!”

‘Don’t be,” the Professor told them quietly. “We can do this. Unfortunately, we drew the short straw, so our position is the poorest, with both other Houses angled towards our position, but we also have the greatest options of cover.”

Claude was examining the field with a long tube which he explained was a kind of spyglass. “Looks as if...Hubert and Caspar are taking the field on the Eagle side. No sign of the others, so they’re probably in the trees. And for the Lions…” he swung his spyglass around. After a moment, he said, “I see Ashe...and Felix.”

“I can take out Felix, Professor,” said Kyokō with a bright smile. 

“While dodging arrows?” said Byleth in a total deadpan expression. Kyokō’s face fell at that. Then Byleth paused. “Actually...let’s reverse that idea…” 

The trumpet sounded to begin the match a short time later. The Golden Deer students rushed into position along with their Professor.

Kyokō carefully moved through the copse of trees where she’d seen Felix and Ashe take cover. She hoped the Professor’s plan would work, but much of it was riding on her, and how well she could pull this off. She checked behind her frequently, watching the trees branches above as well, moving from cover to cover.

A blunt arrow hissed nearby her, bouncing off the tree trunk she had just hid behind. She peered back as if she were searching for the sniper…

Sure enough, at that instant a slight rustle of leaves was her only warning. She dove to the side into a roll as a training sword slashed into the trunk where her torso had been just moments before. She moved her kanabō in a figure eight pattern before her body to knock aside any follow throughs, and her wrists were jolted as the sword was knocked aside.

Backing away, Kyokō reset her stance as Felix did the same, both of them circling each other. Then she abruptly reversed, not wanting him to shift her into Ashe’s field of fire.

“No need for chit-chat,” Felix growled. “Come on!”

Kyokō smiled wickedly at him. “Hey Felix!” she taunted. “I heard your brother died like a true knight.”

A brief flash of incandescent rage crossed his features, and he nearly charged. Then the sharp lines in his face relaxed as he held his stance. “Clever,” he admitted. “But I won’t be baited so easily. Unlike your girlfriend Misako.”

Multiple yellow fletched arrows hissed in at Felix then, one striking him in his side, likely breaking some ribs even through the padded uniform armor.

Kyokō wished for a more even contest, but this was a war exercise, so she rushed forward, taking advantage of Felix’s crippled side and disarming him quickly with her heavier weapon. “Remember, no need for chit-chat,” she told him with some sympathy and a smile. “Thanks for standing still for my teammates while talking, though.”

Felix just sighed from the ground and shook his head, already dismissing her from his thoughts.

Leonie and Claude had already found and moved their fields of fire towards Ashe, with three different fletchings of arrows hissing back and forth through the wood. Kyokō ran parallel to their tracks, finding the Blue Lion attempting to fall back while keeping the Golden Deer archers under cover. She crept closer as he aimed, and when he loosed an arrow from behind cover, she rushed his position.

His green eyes widened in panic at the sight of Kyokō with her kanabō, fumbling with another arrow to draw, but poor Ashe had no chance in melee. Not wanting to cause more ill-will than necessary, Kyokō thumped him lightly on both arms. “I could have broken your arms. Didn’t want to, though,” she winked at him.

Ashe chuckled and dropped his bow. “I’d never thought I’d say this, but thanks for the bruises,” he said equitably, sitting down on the ground while rubbing his arms.

A sharp detonation behind him demanded attention. Kyokō hurried to the source of the confusion and noise, knowing that this was probably the second part of their plan coming into play.

With a roaring battlecry, Caspar came charging into the woods, followed by the tall grim form of the magician Hubert. They were following a wobbling Professor Eisner and Hilda, both of whom were falling back, drawing the Black Eagles into range.

Hubert soon came under staggered, alternating fire from Leonie and Claude, distracting him from any more spellcasting. Professor Eisner and Hilda did an about-face, converging on Caspar along with Kyokō. Misako’s teal haired training buddy put up a grand effort, his small form a whirlwind of hatchets and muscle, until Hilda finally knocked him down with a well placed throw of her own axe. The girls knelt by him as he groaned on the mossy ground of the undergrowth, clutching his abdomen in pain.

“Professor, can I give him a vulnerary? He may have ruptured something,” said Kyokō.

The Professor nodded and handed over her own, even though her left arm was still black and ugly looking from Hubert’s dark magic. Claude and Leonie came running up at that moment, having knocked out Hubert with one of their fowling blunt arrows.

“That boy didn’t know when to quit,” muttered Leonie, eyeing her Professor. “You okay there, Miss Eisner?”

Their Professor examined her arm with clinical interest, moving it slowly. “It’ll affect my balance, but I can compensate,” she said. “Let’s quickly move onto the rest of the Black Eagles. The rest of the Blue Lions are slower, and they won’t be able to catch up.”

Caspar was breathing easier now that Hilda and Kyokō had poured a vulnerary over the red swollen spot where Hilda’s hatchet had knocked the wind out of him. He blinked open his eyes and grunted, “Oh man, did I lose? I hate losing!”

“You did good,” the Professor told him. “Keep up your training. Now excuse us, we need to move on.”

“Let’s go, Deer!” cackled Claude, and the team moved to Edelgard’s position.

* * *

If Claude expected Edelgard to show sense and bow to superior numbers, he was sorely disappointed. Her position was well-entrenched and well-defended by a wooden barricade, with Manuela and Dorothea slinging spells over her head while she tossed her own heavy short axes at anyone foolish enough to come within her range. Claude and Leonie tried to snipe them from afar, but neither were used to the blunt headed arrows used for the mock battle, and their shots veered to the left or right more often than not.

“Keep it up, even if you have to run out of arrows,” the Professor told them. “Kyokō, go with Hilda and flank them through the woods. I’ll keep drawing their attention.” The pinkette looked over to Kyokō and smiled brightly in anticipation.

Kyokō would have raced faster through the woods, but Hilda, while naturally strong through her Crest blood, did not have the slightest bit of conditioning or experience in the woods, and huffed like a Beast as she crashed through the undergrowth. Kyokō ached at the idea, but she had to use the conditions to her advantage. “I’ll be nearby,” she whispered to Hilda. “Keep on going, I’m backing you up, I promise.”

Hilda’s pink eyes squinted at her. “You’d better,” she warned, then raced ahead, with Kyokō circling around her position somewhat.

Soon enough, Kyokō heard yells of alarm from the Black Eagles as they realized they had a flanker, and she made another silent charge, hoping to get there in time to intervene for Hilda.

Too late, she heard Hilda yelp in pain, but she also heard cracking wood coming from the Eagles’ barricade as the Professor started smashing her way through. Edelgard and Manuela were distracted, giving Kyokō time to rush Dorothea, who was standing over a kneeling Hilda.

She didn’t know much about this Black Eagle, other than she used to be a singer and was a magician. Thus she wasn’t too surprised when Dorothea paused from finishing off Hilda to swing a sparking hand in her direction. What Kyokō _was_ surprised about was how much the galvanic arcs of crackling energy _hurt_.

“Owie-OUCH!” cried out Kyokō, nearly dropping her kanabō, but she grimaced through the jolting pain and swung her club down at the singer, a little bit harder than she normally would have done in a mock battle. The spiked wood cracked solidly and the Black Eagle let out a loud scream of pain.

Both Hilda and Kyokō were breathing hard in the aftermath, but the tall brunette writhed all over the ground, moaning and weeping harshly. Kyokō immediately grew worried, hoping she hadn’t injured her fellow cadet too badly. “Hey, are you okay--?”

“Kyokō!” screamed Hilda.

Normally she would have never been able to dodge the incoming axe from Edelgard behind her, but the Evasion ring on her right finger burned, helping her move away at the last second. Kyokō barely managed to grip her club with both hands to block the axe haft from Edelgard’s next attack. The Princess’ regal face was locked into a furious scowl as she strained the axehead closer to Kyokō’s face. “How did you possibly realize--?” she began, rearing back for another attack.

Smiling apologetically, Kyokō rolled backwards out of range, on guard. “Did you ask me if I had a magic ring? Nobody asked me if I had a magic ring,” she grinned at the Princess.

Edelgard was about to attack again when Professor Eisner’s blunt training sword slid past her neck and rested there on her shoulder, making the Princess freeze in chagrin. Professor Manuela was already sprawled out on the ground behind the Golden Deer Professor. “Sorry, dear. I tried my best….” the Black Eagle Professor apologized.

“I see. I suppose I am beaten. Congratulations, Professor,” said Edelgard stiffly, taking a seat on the grass and doing a poor job of masking her anger.

Claude and Leonie trotted up and immediately began collecting discarded arrows, replacing them in their quivers. “Good job, Teach! And thanks, Hilda and Kyokō. You both okay?”

“I think so,” grimaced Hilda, flexing her red and swollen arm, noticing Dorothea was rising from the ground with a smile and holding her shoulder tightly.

The brunette chuckled richly, pausing to wipe the tear streaks from her face. “Sorry Edie. I tried to give my best performance, and it almost worked. If we only had a few more seconds…”

Kyokō clapped in admiration. “You really got me! Not many actresses can cry on cue,” she smiled.

“The broken collarbone helped,” Dorothea told her wryly. “Manuela, dear, are you up for some healing?” she asked.

The Golden Deer left the Black Eagles to commiserate on their loss and moved slowly north, using the trees as cover from the Blue Lions’ last known position. They were forced to pause as Hilda had to use a vulnerary to heal her electrical burns, which Leonie administered. Professor Byleth was scanning the forest and the fields, her blue eyes bright and alert despite her wounds.

“Please hurry,” she asked quietly, nodding for Kyokō to stand closer to the woods.

“Hold your horses,” grumbled Leonie, rubbing the thick healing cream on Hilda’s burn. “I’m just about done…”

With a sudden disorienting roar, Dimitri and Dedue crashed through the undergrowth, attacking the group. Claude yelped and tried to draw on his heels, but a sudden glowing magical strike from Professor Hanneman forced him aside and turned towards that threat. Professor Eisner rushed forward to engage Dimitri, while Hilda and Leonie tried to scramble to their feet and ready their weapons. Kyokō was left alone against Dedue.

The lage Duscar man was just as big as Master Abobo, but he was much slower, dragging around a heavy shield nearly as tall as himself. Except Kyokō had no way of getting around it in time for her much smaller kanabō to land an attack. Worse, if she got too close, the massive wall of metal and wood itself could be used as a weapon. Kyokō learned this the hard way, being shoved backwards _hard_ by the shield to tumble into the dirt, and then she had to leap aside to avoid the heavy fall of the Blue Lion’s axe that left a small crater in the ground.

She finally got a chance when Hilda managed to slam the dark skinned man in the back with her hatchet, but he simply spun in place, his shield and axe fully extended, forcing them to retreat out of range of that maelstrom of muscle and metal. When he finally slowed, Kyokō saw her chance, and she rushed forward and swung hard to hit him solidly in the back, a blow that had all of her weight and extension and strength behind it.

Dedue simply turned around and regarded her evenly.

“Um...that usually works?” giggled Kyokō weakly. She dove to the dirt as his massive axe whistled overhead once more.

Finally, Leonie managed a lucky shot, a blunt arrow from her connecting with Dedue’s thick skull, making him stagger to the ground on one knee, dazed. Hilda and Kyokō immediately dashed up and rested their weapons on his broad neck. “Okay, yield? Like, please?” begged a sweating Hilda.

The man’s green eyes finally lowered in defeat. “I yield,” he said quietly. Both girls sighed in relief and charged away to aid their Professor.

Claude had managed to take out Hanneman, but Professor Eisner was on her last legs against the Prince, dodging and parrying with a training sword that was snapped off halfway up the false “blade.” Dimitri and his lance were a storm of movement, extending it for mongoose quick thrusts and swipes before twirling the polearm again over his shoulders and thick neck as if it were second nature to him. Yet he still had the agility to quickly dodge aside from any blunt arrow from Claude or Leonie. Their accuracy was still suffering enough to hardly be able to aim correctly.

“I am _not_ getting close to that,” muttered Hilda defensively as they halted.

“Then let’s not try,” agreed Kyokō, gripping her precious kanabō in both hands. She winked at Hilda and reared back for a throw. 

Catching on immediately, Hilda waited with her for the opportune moment. Seeing them, Professor Eisner burst forth with a flurry of attacks that actually managed to force Prince Dimitri to retreat a step from her broken sword. At that moment, Hilda threw her hatchet and Kyokō threw her kanabō. Both weapons sailed end over end to solidly strike the Blue Lion House Leader in the back. Dimitri dropped his lance at the twin impacts, more in surprise than anything else, and the Professor tackled him to the ground. Kyokō and Hilda charged in on top of him with a yell.

Even with Leonie dropping her bow and helping them, it took all four of them to hold the struggling Prince to the ground because he refused to yield or tap out. Hilda managed to lock down his right arm, and Kyokō was forced to use all of her weight and knowledge of nerve clusters to paralyze his left. The Professor and Leonie gripped his legs together finally, although they had to endure several kicks. Claude finally approached and drew a bead at point blank range at Dimitri’s face. 

“Please yield, your Princeliness. I’d hate to mark up that handsome chiseled face of yours.”

Dimitri growled deep in his throat, but finally nodded at the inevitable. “Very well, Claude. Professor. The day is yours. I suppose my training was insufficient.”

“It only took all five of us to bring you down, Dimitri,” sighed Kyokō, finally getting off of his wrist where she had been kneeling on it. “So don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Professor Eisner rose with the rest of them. She looked like a nightmare. Her arm was still black and scarred from dark magic, her armor was in tatters from Edelgard’s axes and Dimitri’s lance, her nose was bleeding and askew and she had a black eye. “Good work, everyone,” she said in her flat tone, much more nasally than usual. “The Golden Deer have won the Mock Battle.”

Kyokō couldn’t resist, her exhilaration and fatigue making her giddy. “Thank you Professor,” she said, honking like a duck with her voice.

Leonie and Claude burst out laughing, and Hilda giggled. Byleth tilted her head at her students. “What’s so funny?” she inquired again, but the nasal effect from her red and stuffy nose made it even more amusing.

Hilda pinched her own nose shut and said, “Nothing Professor! It’s simply an honor to fight by your side!”

Leonie slid down to the grass, unable to breathe in her hysterics. Claude was wiping tears from his eyes. Even Dimitri managed a chuckle.

The Professor looked down at her own nose, touching it briefly. “Oh. I see,” she said. To her students’ horror, with a rapid and audible crunch, she fixed her nose back into place. “Is that better?” she asked, her voice marginally clearer. If she was in any pain, she didn’t show it.

“Holy Fucking Seiros!” yelled Kyokō in alarm, running up and grabbing her hand. “Yes, that’s great, Professor. That’s swelling. I mean swell! Let’s get you to a healer, now. Right Claude?”

“Um, yeah. C’mon Teach, let me assist you here…”

Shaking her head as Claude and Kyokō led the Professor back to the healing tent, Leonie made a coo-coo sign to Hilda, who sighed and nodded.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked this chapter! Hope y'all did too!
> 
> So yeah, changing Cassandra Reubens Charon's backstory a bit. This will reflect in a later chapter...
> 
> Zangan is one of the OG JRPG wise old kung-fu masters, so I had to pay tribute.


	5. Big Bandit Sale At Kost-Ko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Golden Deer Class bonds.
> 
> Another training mishap.
> 
> The bandit mission marches forward...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT NOTE/TRIGGER WARNING: Fairly medieval responses to trauma, pain, triggering, and past sexual assaults. Which are basically: "Fucking deal." In a medieval world, psych issues get the short shrift, especially if you're not nobility.
> 
> Basically, there is no progressive messages here, even though I try my best through my writing in a high fantasy world. But because of my restrictions, these characters are medieval in their understanding, even for homosexual couples. It may be uncomfortable to read, but believe me, it was uncomfortable to write. I felt it was consistent with the characterizations I had selected.
> 
> If it makes you uncomfortable, my apologies, and you do not have to read it or give me support. I just try to flow with the characters, letting them bounce off of each other without any set outline, and reach their own resolutions. That said, I think Misako and Kyoko are really growing into their roles in the Golden Deer with this chapter.

Chapter 5

Big Bandit Sale at Kost-ko

  
  


The celebratory mood was in full swing in the Golden Deer classroom.

In a gracious display of equanimity, Headmaster Seteth excused Misako and Kyoko from kitchen duty for an evening while the Golden Deer class celebrated their victory. While most of the team only had bruises and slight burns, Professor Byleth’s arm was still in a sling as it recovered from Hubert’s dark magic, and she looked a little drawn and hollow cheeked despite her face and other wounds being fully healed. But she held court gracefully enough from her seat in the center of the room, with many students, especially Lysithea who had observed the entire match via spyglass, insisting that victory would not have been possible without the Professor.

“It was nothing,” said Byleth, with another one sided shrug.

“Nothing my ass,” scoffed Misako as she ate another pork bun. “You ate two spells from Hubert, blocking them with your arm of all things, then took an axe to the ribs from Edelgard and Dimitri clocked you at least twice that I could tell. What are you made of? Umbral steel? Did you juice up before battle or something?”

“Perhaps I should invest in a shield,” the Professor deadpanned.

“I’d think it’d be preferable to catch spells on that rather than on your arm,” Lysithea agreed from her plate, which contained a third helping of cake.

“Hate those fowling blunt arrows,” grumbled Claude to his fellow archer from his kebab and rice plate. “I guess we’ll have to practice with those for the Battle of Eagle and Lion six months from now. Can barely hit a thing from ten yards out.”

“They _are_ made for just small game. Maybe we should make our own,” Leonie suggested from her own food, where she and Marianne were sitting across from Claude.

“That’s not a bad idea…” said Claude as the doors to the classroom opened. As one, the Golden Deer class looked up.

Knight-Captain Jeralt, dressed back in the gleaming and spit-shined armor of a Knight of Seiros, kicked the doors behind him closed as he entered with a small keg slung under one arm and a tray of cups. He grinned brightly. “Evening, Deer. Can you be discreet for a night and share a cup to celebrate my kid’s first victory as a Professor?”

“Captain Jeralt!” gushed Leonie, jumping up. “Sure thing! Need any help?”

“Heya, Leonie! Here, if you don’t mind…” he grinned, handing off the tray to her.

In short order, everyone was standing with a cup of mead, and Jeralt led the toast. “To Professor Eisner! The youngest Professor to be victorious in the House Mock Battle! May she always lead her students to victory!”

“Hear, hear!” smiled Lorenz, taking an artful sip while many others drained their cups. His eyes widened as he threw back also. “Oh my. What an exquisite bouquet, Captain…raspberries and juniper!”

Jeralt chuckled. “You like it? It took me a while, but I remembered where they hid the good stuff here at the monastery. I’m sure they won’t miss this small little keg,” he said expansively, refilling his mug already.

“That was...delicious…” said Lysithea with a dreamy look on her ruddy face, clutching her empty pewter mug tightly in both hands. 

Hilda grabbed her small mug away from her. “Aaaaaand you’re eighty-sixed for the night, baby doll. Give me that.”

Lysithea barely noticed as she leaned hard against Hilda. “Hilda...what perfume are you wearing? You smell awfully nice…”

“Oh dear…this may have been a bad idea...”

* * *

The party was in full swing when Leonie motioned for Marianne to set down her mostly full cup and join her to meet the Captain, holding her nervous friend’s hand to reassure her.

“Captain?” said Leonie with a slight flush to her cheeks. “I’m so happy I’ve gotten the chance to meet you again. You changed my life when you passed through Sauin village, and it’s thanks to you that someone like me got good enough to be here at Garreg Mach.”

Jeralt smiled and clasped her wrist warmly. “You’re taller and stronger, and you’re a demon with the bow now, but you’re still the little spitfire I remember ten years ago, walking right up to me and demanding that I train you. I’m sure your momma’s proud of you.”

Leonie’s face fell slightly, but she rallied. “She’s passed, sir. I’ve been on my own for the past six years. The village helped raise me after that.”

His face clouding, Jeralt coughed and said, “I’m sorry to hear that. I always thought you came from extraordinary parents. I’m sure they’re still proud of you, wherever they are. I know I am.”

“Thank you, Captain,” managed Leonie, wiping a quick tear. Clearing her throat, she said, “Hey, I’d like to introduce you to our class healer, Lady Marianne von Edmund. She’s been working on building herself up to manage on the field. She’s fixed all of us up at least once or twice. Your kid’s in good hands with her ‘round, swear on my bow.”

“My Lady of Edmund,” nodded Jeralt, holding out his gauntlet.

“Oh. Um, I’m very pleased to meet you, Captain,” whispered Marianne shyly, barely able to touch his wrist. “Leonie’s told me so much about you. You’ve really made a positive impact on her life, and she’s been so patient and understanding with me.”

Jeralt grinned as he refilled his mug once more. “Wait, I’ve heard of you. You’re the girl who went to the stables before even going to her dorm room, right? Seteth mentioned you to me.”

“Oh! Um, Headmaster Seteth? Nothing...bad...right?” blushed Marianne.

“Heck no! You like horses? Let me introduce you to my warhorse, Traveller. Want to go to the stables right now?”

“N-now? Tonight?” whispered Marianne in alarm.

“Don’t worry, Marianne! If Captain Jeralt says it’s okay, then we have permission, right Captain?” said Leonie with a smile.

“You’d better believe it. It wasn’t my idea to come back here in the first place. That damn Alois roped me into taking his job. Someone should make a law about ex-squires badgering old men in their dotage. Anyway, c’mon, Marianne, Leonie. I bet he’ll be delighted to see us, especially if we bring a treat,” said Jeralt, already escorting the healer out the door with Leonie. “Be right back, By! We’re heading to the stables!” he shouted as they exited the room. The Professor raised her hand in acknowledgment. 

“Profesor,” sighed Kyoko as she took another sip of her mug. “Your Dad is totes awesome.”

“Yeah. You really lucked out in the Dad department, Prof,” agreed Misako.

Byleth turned to them, her face blank as ever but her blue eyes appeared warm and pleased. “Thank you. I know he’s a mess, but I’m glad to have him as my papa all the same”

“Is it just you two? You haven’t mentioned a mama…” asked Kyoko, the mead making her bold.

Byleth nodded. “She died when I was born. Papa doesn’t talk about her, so I must’ve killed her when she had me.”

Misako, Kyoko, Lorenz, and Claude nearly spit out in their cups. “Professor! Please do not say such terrible things! You know that is not true!” protested Lorenz in horror.

“Why not? It is true. If she hadn’t had me she’d still be around and papa would be happy.” The colorless delivery made the line all that much more horrible.

Claude eyed his fellow Deer and they nodded. The words were delivered tonelessly and emotionlessly, but the sentiment behind such self-deprecating words was anything but. Claude spoke up “Teach, your parents love you. Both of them, so that includes your Mom. If she didn’t love you, she wouldn’t have carried you for nine moons in the first place. Sometimes accidents happen, though. Sometimes they happen even as we’re born.”

“And you have a Dad who looks happy for you and encourages you,” said Misako huskily, clutching her half full mug. “Don’t you dare say that he’s unhappy because of you. You make him proud and happy just the way you are. Believe us, we can tell. Not just any Dad would help celebrate his daughter tonight. Some Dads wouldn’t even notice. Or care.”

Byleth was looking down at her mug, so it at least seemed that their words were making an impact. Finally, their Professor said in a small voice, “I’ve just never been good at...emotion. About feeling bad. Or feeling good. I always mess things up and make people sad. Or angry.”

“You do not make me feel sad, Professor,” said Lorenz firmly. His nose was bright red from the mead but his passion was infectious. “You make me happy, and proud, and pleased to know you. If I appear sad at your words, I am sad _for_ you, and am attempting to express sympathy for you to make you feel better about yourself. If you need tutoring in the language of emotions, please come to me and I will do my utmost to coach you in the most fair and impartial manner possible. But as Claude and Misako have said, you have the most interesting of fathers, and I am sure your mother was a unique and rare individual herself, who wanted only the best for you.”

Byleth looked at her students, from face to face, then nodded and took another sip from her mug. “Okay. I’ll try. This is all new to me. I’ve just been a mercenary all my life. I’ve never had any...friends...before.” Their Professor hesitated again. “If that’s what we are?” she asked, her brow knitting.

Claude thumped the table with his fist. “We’re all friends here, Teach. In fact, I’ve come to consider many of us more than friends. We’ve been bonding together like a little family,” he nodded.

The emotions were too much for Kyoko. “Professor, may I give you a hug?” she said, wiping an eye and moving to stand next to her.

Byleth still looked stoic, but the others could now tell she was bewildered. “A hug? Why?”

“One, because I want to. Two, because I think you need one. Three, do you need any other reason?”

“Um, okay?” said Byleth, and Kyoko took that as permission, carefully wrapping her arms around Byleth and holding her close.

Misako grinned. “This is the price you have to pay, Prof. Although Kyoko’s Surprise Friendship Hugs are the best.”

“I would be honored to be a part of a Golden Deer Friendship Hug,” sniffed Lorenz, dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief.

“Me three!” Claude said eagerly. Soon they were all clustered together in a group hug.

“That looks nice,” observed Hilda from her seat, where Lysithea was snoring lightly against her chest. Misako, not wanting to participate in the mushiness, walked over to examine their youngest classmate. Hilda shook her head. “Look at this brat. I’m the one who fought a battle today, but do I get to fall asleep and get to be babied and taken care of? Of course not,” sighed Hilda as she lightly stroked Lysithea’s hair.

“Oh stop,” chuckled Misako, draining her mug. “You wouldn’t be doing it unless you loved it.”

“I guess so,” Hilda smiled softly. Then the pinkette’s smile turned a bit impish. “So. Have you and Kyoko come up for any plans on your free day?”

Misako shrugged. “I think we’re gonna go exploring. Kyoko and I used to know Derdriu like the back of our hands. We’re still kinda at sea here though. Still getting used to the mountains and stuff.”

“I’ve heard the Oghma mountains get super beautiful during Harpstring Moon,” nodded Hilda gently, so she didn’t disturb Lysithea. “There’s field upon field of thousands of wildflowers on the balds and the valleys, all in bloom at once. You could go explore the town and then wander wherever you want! Just make it back in time for curfew so you don’t get into trouble again.”

Misako was about to reply when the doors to the classroom opened again, and Captain Jeralt entered alone. Seeing the group around his daughter, he laughed uproariously. “Oh no! I leave for thirty minutes and we’re already to the group hug stage of the evening! What’d I miss?”

“You just missed your daughter being the best Professor ever, is all,” shouted Kyoko back.

“Where’s Leonie and Marianne?” asked Misako curiously.

“Taking a short ride together on Traveller in the exercise yard. They were having a private moment so I decided to duck away and see if there was any mead left.”

Cautiously, Byleth moved away from her students, walking over to stand in front of her Dad. 

Jeralt instantly became sober and alert. “Hey By. What’s up?” he asked gently.

The Professor looked down at her feet, then at each of her students. Turning bright blue eyes back to her father, she said slowly, “Papa? I think I’ve made...friends.”

Such a simple statement, but it had a profound impact on both father and daughter. The old Knight’s brown eyes softened and he immediately stepped forward and hugged his daughter, which she accepted soundlessly. “Oh By, I’m happy for you. I’m so happy for you, kid,” he murmured, nodding gratefully back at the Golden Deer class.

Hilda and Misako caught each others’ eye. They both nodded, mouthing, _Best. Dad. Ever._

* * *

After the party, the days of the Harpstring Moon flowed into a comfortable and familiar routine. Misako and Kyoko decided not to take that first Sunday off, because Cassandra and Shamir had promised a full day’s attention at the Knight’s dojo, and the girls were eager to soak up all that they could.

Kyoko was practicing new hand to hand skills with Cassandra, who was working her through the motions at quarter speed to solidify the technique in her memory. Shamir and Misako were sparring in the sand pit across the room, where Misako was eating sand for what seemed like the hundredth time that day from where the Knight effortlessly tossed the commoner into another throw.

“You’re too impatient,” said Shamir coolly, stepping backwards to make space again. “You’ve got a great deal of pent up emotion, and it makes you reckless. You need to work on that.”

“I know,” grunted Misako, brushing her face and settling back into her stance. “I’ve been dealing with it. It’s fine.”

“It’s not ‘fine’ if it’s holding you back.”

“Urgh! Okay, let me calm myself.” Inhaling sharply, Misako closed her eyes, her face relaxing as she moved through a simple kata, the motions visibly relaxing her. Shamir watched with detached curiosity as she completed the exercise. When she opened her red eyes, she bowed back to Shamir and settled into her stance once more, seemingly at ease. “Ready, Master,” she intoned.

Shamir raised an eyebrow as she raised her own hands. “You’re calm?”

“Yes.”

“You’re certain?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Whore,” said Shamir in a monotone.

“NyraaAARRRGH!” screamed Misako, charging like an enraged bull.

Shamir stepped aside from the incoming fist at the last instant, setting her foot out for Misako to stumble upon. In an instant Misako’s right arm was pinned behind her and Shamir’s left arm was locked around her student’s throat, cutting off air.

“Misako!” cried Kyoko from across the room. Cassandra grabbed her tight as she tried to run to her friend’s side. “It’s okay,” whispered the Knight into her ear. “Shamir knows what she’s doing.” Even still, Kyoko struggled briefly before sagging helplessly in the stronger woman’s arms.

“You have a flaw in your training,” grunted Shamir as she held the thrashing Misako’s body against her. “If we don’t correct it soon, it’s going to get you killed. Do you want that?” she said.

Misako’s breath was a wheeze as she strained. “Don’t...care...you...don’t get...to say...that…”

“But I can. And I will. Because it’s not me saying those words that makes you upset. It’s yourself. Inside of you. Like a poison. And if we don’t extract it, it will destroy you.”

“Fucking...kill..you…swear...”

“You’re not doing a very good job of it from where you are now.”

“Shammy, enough! Either calm her down or put her under. One or the other,” Cassandra shouted to her partner.

“We’re calming down,” said Shamir, adjusting her grip and forcing Misako to her knees. All the way down, she was whispering into Misako’s ear, kneeling behind her, although Misako still weakly struggled. Eventually, she ceased completely. Shamir quietly held her for another five minutes, during which Kyoko moved away from Cassandra. She sat in the corner of the dojo, silently crying.

Shamir released Misako.

The dark hair girl rose from the sand, bowed stiffly to Shamir, then walked straight out of the Knight’s Hall. 

“Where’s she going? Misako!” yelled Kyoko, raising her red tear streaked face.

Shamir was brushing sand off her gi. “I told her to go to her room and meditate. Gave her some advice.”

“You didn’t have to be so cruel,” sniffed Kyoko, staring at the floor, feeling confused and betrayed.

Cassandra and Shamir glanced at each other then moved to the tatami mats. “Come here, Kyoko, and sit down,” Cassandra ordered.

Silently, Kyoko did as she was commanded, still not looking at either Knight.

Cassandra sighed. “I think you need to tell us the whole story. We can’t help Misako until you do.”

“This has happened before, right Kyoko? Many times,” said Shamir softly. “And you’ve always been there watching her back, protecting her from herself. But we have to change the dynamic, now, before it gets either one of you killed. Most likely both.”

Slowly Kyoko nodded. But she raised angry blue eyes at both of her Masters. “We’re trusting you. So much. We know we need help, but please...don’t tell anyone else. Even Lady Rhea or Claude or our Professor. Please!”

Shamir was about to speak but Cassandra raised a hand first. Granted her partner’s permission, Cassandra said gently, “You can trust us, Kyoko. But others may sense it too. We can’t make a promise about anyone else’s intuition or information. The monastery has eyes and ears, and the story of Misako and Leonie on the first day has already spread through the Academy. Now, I don’t think that honest girl would break faith with you, but it doesn’t take a genius to piece things together, because of Misako’s reactions. Understand?”

“I...understand,” said Kyoko softly. With one last look at the exit of the room, she breathed in and began their story.

* * *

Hours later, Misako was still in her dorm room, trying to meditate and control her thought process. It was frustrating, because she knew Shamir was right. And she could feel her rage inside of her, threatening to burble free in an eruption of mindless reaction and destruction. The desire to destroy Shamir, Catherine, herself, the world made her clench her fists tightly, her nails digging into skin. She focused once more on trying to make herself feel the emotions. Acknowledge them. Greet them. Listen to them. Talk to them.

But no matter what, don’t give control of yourself over to them.

More than anything else right now though, she wanted to talk to her friend. So Misako exited her dorm, not bothering with a lock (she had nothing worth stealing), and moved next door to knock on Kyoko’s door.

An instant later, her friend opened it, looking warily at her, unsure of her mood.

“I’m okay,” said Misako tiredly. She tried to smile, but failed. “I’m not mad if you told them. Honest. Mind if I stay with you a little?”

Kyoko looked at her carefully, then smiled with a ghost of her usual cheerfulness. “Okay!”

Misako entered carefully, not bothering with a chair and sitting on the rug, tucking her dirty bare feet under her gi. Kyoko however was already dressed for bed, and sat on the edge of her covers, keeping some distance between them.

Misako decided to start obliquely around the issue. “You know, I thought you did great in the Mock Battle.”

Kyoko was not fooled for a second. “Oh fuck. Free compliments. This is gonna be bad, isn’t it?” she said mournfully.

Misako chuckled ruefully. “Well shit. So much for plan A.”

“Yeah, that really wasn’t your best effort. C’mon, hit me with plan B.”

“I’m sorry,” said Misako, much more seriously.

Kyoko straightened with interest. “Whoa, really? Okay, this one is much more interesting. Do spill.”

“I’ve...been a bad friend to you.”

“This is years too late, but I’m listening all the same,” smiled Kyoko encouragingly.

“Yeah, yeah, I fucking know,” sighed Misako. “I just...want to start trying harder. And that means no little Miss Head-Case act for me. I’ve been using it as a crutch for my behavior for too long. And relying on you to keep me out of trouble while I indulged it.”

“Wow, this is awesome. What kind of mystic Dagdan herbs did Shamir slip you?”

“The ass-kicking truth kind.” Misako looked up at Kyoko. “I convinced myself that my anger was only my problem. Just something that I dealt with, and it only happened every once and a while. But she pointed out how it affected everyone around me. That I wasn’t just putting myself at risk, but everyone else too. And I don’t want that for you. I’ve never wanted that for you. It’s not your job to protect me from myself. Maybe if I got my teeth kicked down my throat years ago, I could have learned about this much sooner.”

“Maybe,” shrugged Kyoko. “But I enjoy watching you gripped in the throes of self-realizations. It makes for a cute look. Maybe you’ll start a trend around Garreg Mach.”

“Hardy fucking har har.”

“I’m actually only half-kidding. Have you seen Marianne and Leonie lately? Ever since they went on that midnight moonlight horse ride, they can hardly stand to be in the same room as each other. I’m starting to wonder what would happen if I smashed their heads together to kiss.”

“I’m sure at least one of them would thank you.”

“Yeah, but which one?”

“Steering the conversation back to my crippling psychosis…” grumbled Misako.

“Fine, be absolutely selfish like that,” giggled Kyoko.

Misako ran a hand through her hair. “Seriously, though, I don’t know what it is, but what Master Shamir said actually sunk into my thick skull. I might have to meditate with her. Or just talk to her. She must have plenty of emotions, but she’s in total control of them.”

Kyoko hummed thoughtfully at that. “If you want my opinion, which you totally should, I think you need to be careful of putting her on a pedestal. People in that much control of their emotions are like that because they don’t really trust themselves with _any_ emotion. I mean, she’s a war veteran from the losing side, so she must’ve been in some deep shit beforehand. In the meantime, I think you’re completely fine with most emotions except for two.”

“Okay, I”ll bite. Which two? Anger, obviously, but the other being…?”

“Happiness.”

Misako winced at that. “Okay, you’re officially the worst fucking friend ever.”

“And you just raised up a shield bigger than Dedue as soon as I said that! Wonder why?” suggested Kyoko brightly.

Misako put her head down in her hands in pure chagrin. “Fuuuuuuuuuckkkk,” she growled. “I fucking hate you when you’re right.”

“More defensive deflection! Oh! I love it! It’s covering me up like a giant blanket, smothering me! Ha ha ha! Totes epic win for Team Kyoko!” laughed Kyoko, rolling back on the bed.

“So little Miss Know-It-All, why can’t I feel happy?” huffed Misako, folding her arms.

Kyoko raised up her head from where she was laying on the bed. “You’re not letting yourself, somehow? I dunno, that one’s on you. Maybe it has to do with you not feeling in control. Right now, your emotions control you, rather than you controlling your emotions. So you feel out of control all the time. I know that would make me unhappy.”

“Master Shamir basically told me the same thing.”

“See, this is why you should be more like me!” said Kyoko with a careless wave of her hand. “Do I have these problems? Maybe, but I don’t let them get me down like you do. I’m in perfect equilibrium, a paragon of restraint and serenity.”

Misako grinned savagely and leapt to her feet. Kyoko scooted back on the bed. “Hey! I’m about to go to bed, so behave, Anger Girl,” she warned nervously.

“Perfect control huh? You’ll sit right there, then, right? Stay right fucking there. I need to check something,” said Misako, pointing an accusatory finger.

“Like what?” said Kyoko suspiciously.

In response, Misako made a beeline for Kyoko’s chest of drawers and started opening them. 

“H-hey! Stop! What are you doing!?” Kyoko dashed forward to close the drawers.

“Ha! I knew it! I fucking knew it! Books from the library! Weapons from the training hall!” laughed Misako, pulling the items out of the drawers and casting them on the floor. Tomes and training weapons clattered onto the rug. “You total klepto!”

“Nobody really needed those!” protested Kyoko, stamping a foot.

Misako dug further into the clothing, pulling out another item. “Wait, is this one of Hilda’s perfume bottles?! You did not!”

“She has so many! She won’t miss one!”

“What’s this then?” Misako pulled out a large gold rimmed tray from under the socks, full to the brim of shining coins.

Kyoko grew very red and looked down shamefully.

“The offertory plate? Really, Kyoko? You’re stealing from children and widows now?” said Misako quietly.

“It was just sitting out there one day in the Cathedral!” whined Kyoko. “I couldn’t resist!”

“How long ago was this?”

“Ah...um...a day?”

“Kyoko.”

“Maybe two.”

“Kyoko!”

“I’ll put it back, I swear!”

“With all of the coins still inside as well.”

“Oh, come on, Misako!”

* * *

Luckily, no one made mention of the sudden reappearance of the offertory plate back at the Cathedral. Misako sprinkled a few more gold coins on top of it, in case Kyoko had been holding out on her. No one else seemed to care about the missing weapons and books, so Misako was more willing to let that one slide.

The next week of classes brought a new shock to the Golden Deer class, however.

“Bandits?” wondered Claude.

“Bandits?” grinned Leonie.

“Bandits?” sneered Lysithea.

“Bandits!” cheered Misako and Kyoko, cheering out loud and giving each other a loud high five. “Woo hoo!”

“I know some of you are not strangers to live combat,” said Professor Byleth, her arm now fully healed as she was detailing the month’s mission on the chalkboard. “It is paramount that you assist your classmates who are green to become as ready as they possibly can become. And if it’s not too much trouble,” she said, eyeing Lorenz and Claude, “I would appreciate it if some of our more noble students can assist us in funds to procure better arms and armor.”

“Standard issue not good enough for you, Teach?” teased Claude.

She shook her head flatly. “No. Frankly, it’s nearly suicidal what the students are outfitted with compared to the Knights. I’m bringing it up with Seteth and Rhea.”

Lorenz coughed, “I will be happy to assist, Professor, but...surely there must be something I can beg of you in exchange?”

Byleth shrugged. “I’ll owe you one.”

Sighing, Lorenz said, “I’ll write to my Lord Father and see what I can do.”

“Good idea.”

During the transition from class to the training hall , Byleth pulled Misako and Kyoko aside.

“I’m going to be relying heavily on you two for this month’s mission,” she said, looking at both of them seriously. “Officially, Claude’s my second in command. But he refuses to give me a straight answer about how much action he’s seen. So _un_ officially, the two of you are my seconds. If I’m not able to command, I’m entrusting the safety of the Deer to you in combat. Retreat in good order and keep them alive, and don’t worry about me.”

The girls looked to each other and swallowed nervously. Misako shifted and said quietly, “Maybe you should give us clear assignments of who we need to watch. That might help.”

“Agreed,” nodded the Professor. And secretly, she ordered Misako to watch for Claude, Marianne, and Hilda, while Kyoko would be responsible for Leonie, Lysithea, and Lorenz.

“But you’re not gonna die on us, right, Professor? Please say no, that’s the only right answer,” pleaded Kyoko.

“I might be captured. I might be forced away from your position. I may be incapacitated, due to blood loss or broken bones. Injuries are inevitable in war zones. So is death, but our job is to kill them before they kill us. I’m counting on you to help with that too. That’s why I want better weapons for both of you. The faster you can kill, the easier it will be for the team to stay alive. And I’m also leaning on Lorenz and Lysithea to learn Faith magic, and for Marianne to learn Reason. We can’t afford for our mages to be specialists if we’re facing real foes.”

“We’re trying to learn magic too!” smiled Kyoko brightly. “Maybe one day soon we’ll be able to help out like that!”

Byleth’s face almost appeared to smile. “That would be most reassuring.”

* * *

The Professor drilled her students mercilessly for the next week, trying to utilize rotating training dummies to improve most of the students’ reflexes, although Marianne was soon excused from the exercise since she was left dazed and bruised in the dust every time she tried dodging the spinning wooden arms. Byleth instead assigned her weight training exercises so she could wear a shield. Lysithea managed gamely enough, although her stamina was extremely poor and she was often left in a dead faint after barely half an hour’s exertion. She was assigned weight training as well.

Lorenz actually ducked and jumped from the alternating wooden arms with decent grace, enough so that he managed to graduate to the next set of exercise dummies, along with Claude and Hilda. Leonie, Misako, and Kyoko could almost do it in their sleep, so Professor Byleth wielded her own sword and several wooden throwing daggers to sharpen their reflexes. Leonie grumbled that she needed her own Evasion Ring to keep up with the martial artists, and so that too was added to a growing shopping list.

To both Misako and Kyoko’s disappointment, Cassandra and Shamir were called away on a mission that week, so there was no additional martial arts training, although Shamir sent a detailed message to Misako that she refused to tell anyone about, even Kyoko. During the week, after washing dishes in the kitchen, the dark haired commoner retreated to her dim room to intensely focus on her meditation, mumbling vile insults to herself and forcing herself to confront her past, acknowledge it happened, but refusing to let it dominate her life an instant longer. Kyoko, sensing her best friend’s dedication and focus, spent the spare time with Hilda in increasingly elaborate plots to force Leonie and Marianne into a date.

In the midst of one such planning session Saturday evening in Kyoko’s room (Hilda finally figured out her possessions tended to mysteriously vanish if Kyoko came to her room), Hilda casually said, “So Misako told me you guys were going to go exploring tomorrow.”

“Huh? Really? Em didn’t tell me this,” said Kyoko, confused.

“Oh, I’m sorry! It must have been a surprise. I hope I didn’t step on any toes!”

“Go exploring? Go exploring _where_? I’m so confused right now.”

“Oh, she just said something about the town and the fields around Garreg Mach,” said Hilda blithely. “I mean, it’s so pretty in the mountains during the spring, don’t you think? It’s like an explosion of color as far as the eye can see! And the temperature outside is perfect right now!”

Kyoko peered at Hilda. “And this was just me and Misako, hiking around the mountains...just...exploring?”

“Oh sure!” Hilda said with a broad smile. “You know, whatever two cute and attractive girls do alone in the mountains in a field full of wildflowers, without a soul within miles to spy on them, aside from the bugs and the animals, I suppose…”

Folding her arms, Kyoko sternly said, “Hilda.”

“Moi?”

“Hilda!”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”

“She’s my best friend. We grew up together, so trust me. Misako’s not like that.”

“Like what? I don’t know what you’re insinuating! Honestly, get your mind out of the gutter! Now, can I have my stuff that you filched please?” smiled Hilda innocently, twirling a pink pigtail on her finger.

* * *

Sure enough, the next morning, Misako knocked on Kyoko’s door, wearing a pack on her back, dressed for mountain weather.

“Hey, spaz. Up for some exploring today?” she said.

Kyoko decided to test the waters by artfully still appearing in the doorway in her nightclothes. “Eh, I guess,” she groaned, giving a languid stretch that took more than ten seconds.

When she opened her eyes, Misako was looking at her with irritation, not interest. “Are you trying to start the day by pissing me off?” she asked. “I’ve only made so much progress with my meditation, you know. Hurry the fuck up.”

Kyoko sighed mentally. “Let me get dressed,” she said.

If Hilda hadn’t gotten her hopes up the night before, Kyoko might have had a grand time in town with Misako, laughing at all the weird items for sale in the shops and enjoying fresh exotic food that was better than their standard cafeteria diet. As it was, everything with her best friend today felt artificial, as if she were a puppet going through the motions, forced to act out a script against her will. All thanks to Hilda’s words yesterday. She thought she had made terms with it, but her stupid heart started to dare to hope once more.

That afternoon, when they got to the first mountain trails out of town and could see vistas for miles among the beautiful, snow-capped peaks, they came upon their first blooming field of flowers.

“Okay, this is pretty fucking cool,” smiled Misako in admiration.

“Yeah, I kinda have to agree,” said Kyoko weakly, stealing looks at Misako’s face, drinking in the rare sight of peaceful happiness she saw there.

They wandered off the trail through the multicolored flowers and high glasses, their fingertips brushing against the petals and soon becoming dusted with yellow pollen, coming to the edge of sloping, grassy hill.

Misako squinted in the distance, then pointed excitedly at a distant peak. “Oh wow, Kyoko! Look at that! Look!” she exclaimed.

“What?” said Kyoko, trying to squint in that direction.

With her free hand, Misako pushed her down the hill.

Kyoko screeched in surprise, then raised her elbows and tucked her body into a roll, a tumble that grew faster and faster as she bounced down the hill. Finally twisting about to plant her hands and feet to slow her descent, Kyoko looked up to see Misako skipping lightly down the path her body had made, humming brightly.

“Fucking dick move,” growled Kyoko, picking grasses and flowers out of her hair. 

“I’m so happy right now,” sighed Misako in bliss.

“You’re a fucking bitch.”

“So, so happy. Hey, want some food? I’ve got some cheese and crackers in my pack.”

Grabbing the proffered pack from her bestie, Kyoko untied it and put an entire block of cheese between her teeth, wax and all, blue eyes still angrily glaring at Misako.

Her friend burst out laughing in the spring mountain air, and Kyoko’s heart melted at the sound.

Later, after they had eaten and drank from a canteen of water Misako packed, Kyoko sat with Misako’s head in her lap, weaving flowers in and out of her hair.

“Okay, this is enough revenge. Stop already,” muttered Misako in annoyance, opening a red glaring eye.

“Nope! If I get flowers into my hair, so do you,” hummed Kyoko happily. “And we’ll go back and everyone will see you and laugh ‘cause you’re a total dork who willingly let me do this to you.”

“Urgh,” grunted Misako, but she merely closed her eyes again, enduring the treatment.

“Hey Misako?”

“Hmm.”

Kyoko paused, unsure how to broach the subject, then said, “Have you thought about...y’know...dating anybody here at Garreg Mach?”

“What brought this on?” Misako said, opening a single eye again.

Deciding to stay truthful in part, Kyoko said, “Hilda.”

“Oh, Goddess, she’s always on, isn’t she?” Misako chuckled.

“I know, but she’s so into Lysithea. It’s weird.”

“I think they’re waiting until Hilda is thirty and Lysithea finally turns eighteen. A sort of Harpstring-Ethereal Moon romance.”

Kyoko couldn’t help it and laughed out loud. “Damn, I’ll have to remember that one. She might actually get angry.”

“Hilda never gets angry. She gets disappointed instead. Which she knows is way, way worse. Besides, Lysithea carries all the anger for them.”

“You’re side-stepping.”

“You’re noticing,” grunted Misako.

“C’mon, just tell me!”

Misako sighed and raised her head slightly, looking up at the blue sky and Kyoko’s blue eyes. “Have I thought about it? Briefly. But do I seriously consider it? For me? I can barely hold my own shit together. I don’t even trust myself in a relationship, much less anyone else.”

“That sounds both incredibly insightful and tremendously sad, Em,” Kyoko said down to her.

Her friend closed her eyes again. “You asked, Kay.”

Hiding a quick swallow, Kyoko lifted her head and watched the sun dip lower to the mountain peaks, quickly lengthening the shadows in the field. “We need to head back soon. I’m gonna set your head on the grass, okay? I need to get something.”

“Sure, whatever,” said Misako sleepily.

Time passed, and Misako actually managed a light doze when she heard Kyoko’s bright voice. “Wake up, sleepyhead!”

“Hmm?” yawned Misako, rising.

A bouquet was thrust into her face.

“Whoa!” she laughed, jerking her head back from where the flowers tickled her nose. It looked very simple but very pretty, too. “What’s this for?”

“It’s for you, goofball,” smiled Kyoko. In the center was a small purple and white flower with drooping petals, surrounded by bright yellow fluffy flowers, with those surrounded by tons of cute little white flowers.

“Huh. Never actually gotten one of these before,” Misako mumbled, taking the bouquet. The stems had been strung together by one of Kyoko’s hair ties.

“Then you need to remember it and the occasion, then,” smiled Kyoko at her, her eyes bright. A little too bright.

Focused more on her friend than the flowers, Misako set it aside and got up and drew Kyoko into a tight hug. “Thanks for being my friend. I don’t deserve it.”

Kyoko rested her chin on Misako’s shoulder. “You know me. Anything for you, Em.”

* * *

That evening Hilda knocked on Kyoko’s door.

Kyoko opened it, then immediately started to close it again.

“Wait!” demanded Hilda, sticking out her foot to wedge the door. “Ow! Fuck! Wait, just tell me! How’d it go?”

Kyoko threw the door open. “How’d it go?” whispered Kyoko harshly, not wanting Misako to overhear in the next room. “It went exactly as I predicted. I can only get my heart broken so many times, Hilda. So lay the fuck off in the future.”

“Seriously, that bad?”

Glowering, Kyoko elaborated. “I tried to flirt with her. She got annoyed. I fucking wove flowers into her hair. She tolerated it. I asked if she was ready to date anyone. She said no. Then, because I am a supreme masochist, I picked and brought her a bouquet of daffodils, clover, and an iris, and she thanked me for being a friend.”

Hilda arched an eyebrow. “Sweetie, does she know anything about flowers? Anyway, that’s besides the point. Did you straight up ask her?”

Kyoko clenched her teeth and lowered her voice. “At this point, my friendship with her is far more precious than any pie in the sky relationship between us. She’s in a fragile place right now, dealing with her own shit. She doesn’t need me dogpiling on top of her. When and if she’s ready, she’ll be ready. But not before. It’s not a fucking race, Hilda.”

“Oh my poor Kyoko. In our line of work, though, it _is_. And you never know when you’re gonna finish it,” said Hilda sadly.

* * *

Shields were bought. Weapons were issued. Rings were acquired. And each student was personally trained by Byleth to be at their very best that they could be in such a short time.

Near the end of Harpstring Moon 1180, the Golden Deer class marched on Zanado, where the bandit gang had at last been cornered, with the Knights of Seiros commanding the surrounding ridges and roads in support. A mile from their intended targets, they climbed down from the wagons and horses they had used for transport and moved into the hot zone on foot.

Professor Byleth was deep in conference with a group of Knights dressed as scouts, while Claude gathered the rest of the class for a final pep talk that morning.

“I don’t have to tell you guys it’s kill or be killed, right? You can’t have any hesitation. Cast the spell or take the shot, but bring them down fast. Hilda, Teach, Misako, and Kyoko will be guarding us, but it’s up to the rest of us to support them and move on the next target. Make sure you drop them before moving on.”

“You can do this,” whispered Leonie supportively to Marianne, who was biting her lip so hard it was ready to bleed. “Even if it’s just healing the rest of us, that can be saving lives.”

“I just...hope things don’t fall out of control,” the noblewoman whispered, fingering the straps of her Silver Shield on her arm.

“With these new weapons, the bandits don’t have a chance! I don’t think I’ve ever owned an axe this nice,” said Hilda, showing off her brand new massive double bladed Silver Axe.

“And these definitely aren’t for show!” grinned Misako, displaying her Killer Gauntlets, with sharp wide bladed knives at their ends. “Sorry if you guys don’t get to cast any spells ‘cause we get to fucking clean up.”

“I didn’t even know kanabos could be this big! And light!” marveled Kyoko, experimentally twisting her large club with mithril spikes studded across its length.

Lorenz chuckled at her antics. “What is the saying? ‘Give a kanabo to an oni?’ Or maybe they simply meant Kyoko.”

“I’m ready to go full oni on some bandit ass, believe me!” Kyoko grinned evilly.

Lysithea sniffed as she hefted her shield in her left hand. “Just be ready to duck when I scream duck. I’d hate to accidentally kill any of you today. That would be annoying.”

The Professor joined them at that moment, observing their banter. When they all gave her their attention, she nodded to each of them and said, “From here on out, no more talking. Hand signals only, like I taught you. Try to move as quietly as possibly. Misako and Kyoko, on point. Hilda, stay in the middle. Claude and I will bring up the rear.”

Silently, the Golden Deer walked the final mile to the bandit camp at Zanado, nestled within ancient ruins of fallen arches and stone columns. A faint smell of camp smoke soon became evident on the moaning wind, along with the lingering scent of unwashed bodies as well.

They soon came upon an ancient stone bridge over a canyon that could walk two abreast, innocuous and inviting in its openness.

Misako and Kyoko looked back to their Professor for confirmation.

Byleth nodded back to them. _Trap._ she signed with her hands. Soon she was moving the archers and mages to support positions on the opposite side of the ravine, with Hilda guarding them. She then took point, motioning the two commoners to her flanks. Misako and Kyoko nodded and followed her cautiously up the bridge.

Halfway across, the trap sprung. Sneering bandits with swords and axes charged them from behind piles of broken masonry and statues, while numerous archers and mages rose from their camouflaged positions and aimed glowing hands or arrows at them.

“Attack! Attack!” cried Claude, sending an arcing arrow to fall into a mage’s torso.

The charging bandits quickly expected to rattle and overrun the three women on the bridge, but the Professor and the Aquatic City Girls exploded into motion, dodging incoming strikes and responding with lethal force. Misako soon left two bandits behind her screaming as they tried to hold their steaming guts inside their bellies, and was already upon a third, driving her blade under his chin in an uppercut that inserted cold metal in his brain. Byleth was fencing with two swordsmen at the same time, driving them back and soon crippling both before administering the coup de grace. And Kyoko’s initial swing of her kanabo blasted through a bandit’s parry and knocked the man shrieking off the bridge to fall to his death. She gawked briefly at the power of her weapon before quickly bringing the business end down on another bandit’s skull, splattering her with fluids. 

“Oh, gruh-oh-ooss,” Kyoko muttered.

Behind them, on the other end of the canyon, Claude and Leonie picked off the unarmed and unarmored mages, their swift arrows halting their casting, while the Golden Deer mages targeted the enemy archers to great effect. Lorenz cast a large fireball that sent bodies flying, and Lysithea’s globs of dark magic, cast at the feet of bandits, soon dissolved their wildly screaming bodies into bubbling black puddles of foul ooze. Even Marianne managed to cast a vampiric spell that sucked the lifeforce out of a bandit archer, causing him to stumble at the edge of the canyon and fall soundlessly within.

“Oh Goddess...commend these poor souls…” whispered the healer, tears streaming down her face.

“C’mon Marianne! Fight now, pray later!” urged Leonie, hustling her up the bridge to join the Professor and the two brawlers. The crossing was soon finished and the small group found the remains of a bandit campsite, seemingly abandoned with brushy hedge growth all around them. As they explored the campsite, Byleth suddenly held up a fist for her students to see, urging everyone to caution as they watched and waited tensely, unconsciously forming a tight circle.

At that instant, with a ragged yell, women, old men, and to the students’ utter horror, even some children attacked the group, emerging from tents and hiding places, pitiful makeshift weapons in their hands, most of them kitchen or farm tools.

The Professor tried to move in a circuit around her students, supporting any that were hesitating. Marianne fell back in fright from a girl her own age attacking her shield with a spear, and Byleth stepped behind the bandit girl, running her through with her sword and leaving her choking on her own blood on the ground. Marianne was left weeping in horror at the sight of the dying girl, and Leonie rushed forward and finished it with her hunting knife, using her body to shield Marianne from the view. 

Lorenz looked green as he set a group of men and women on fire, who looked to be starving former peasants by their clothing. Kyoko and Misako became silent and grim, quickly and efficiently cutting and bashing through the untrained mob and finishing off their pitiable struggles on the ground. Hilda and Lysithea were fighting back to back when the albino screamed as she stumbled away from a thin aged woman with a dagger in her hand, unable or unwilling to cast her spells. Hilda stepped forward and beheaded the assailant in a single blow, the body twitching convulsively as the head bounced away. 

Stepping quickly around the remains of the battlefield, the Professor made sure there was no lingering suffering, stabbing into hearts and throats as she moved amongst the bodies. Hilda assisted a shaking Lysithea to her feet, while Kyoko briefly searched the bodies, then sighed. The shabby group had nothing worth pocketing.

“By all the Gods…” said Claude as he stared at the small crumpled bodies with his sharp arrows buried in them. “ _Why_? What were they trying to do?”

“We’d just killed their husbands and papas,” said the Professor in her monotone, giving the last corpse a final thrust. “We invaded their home, such as it was. It was all they had left. They thought they had no choice. So they chose to die fighting.”

“Professor, let’s move on. We can’t rest here,” said Misako roughly, wiping her blades on a corpse. She glanced at Kyoko, who nodded. They had to project strength, or the rest of the class was going to fall apart. Lysithea and Marianne and Lorenz looked ready to vomit; even Hilda and Leonie and Claude were shaken and wide-eyed.

The Professor nodded and motioned the group north, away from the carnage, and they found a defensible nook in the corner of an abandoned ruined building where they could take brief shelter. She ordered everyone to drink some water and rest while she stood sentry. Leonie, trying to mimic the same indifferent attitude as the Professor, stood guard at the other exit with a half-nocked bow.

“The sheer...idiocy!” grated Lysithea, rubbing her pale pink eyes. “Fools! Throwing their lives away! Like they didn’t matter at all!”

Misako grunted at the tirade. “They were in poor condition. Most of them were starving, if you didn’t notice. That can make people act fucking cray.”

Kyoko nodded as she took a drink from a canteen tin. “Don’t focus on it. Don’t think about it right now. There’s a time for thought, and a time for action. Let’s maintain our focus, for each other. That’s all we can do.”

“Well...well said, Kyoko,” managed Lorenz, regaining his color somewhat, trying to wipe away the greasy ash stains from his robes. Giving up, he said, “Claude? May I inquire what you are doing?”

“Just scanning the area, Lorenz,” said their House Leader from the top of a pillar, trying to discreetly use his spyglass on the surrounding terrain.

“Be careful of it reflecting off the sun,” Byleth warned from her position.

“Way ahead of you Teach,” he said, showing off his modifications to the instrument, which now had a small shaded hood over the top. The Professor nodded in approval.

A short time later, Claude hopped down from his perch and said, “There’s a group making a last stand in a building across another bridge. They appear to be in better shape than...the last one.”

“Just one bridge? Again?” asked Byleth.

“Another trap,” grimaced Hilda.

“There’s another far bridge to the west, but it’s a long way around, and much smaller. I doubt it’s as heavily guarded, but it looks like they could shift their defense to one or the other as needed.”

“Then we hit both,” said the Professor, looking at the group. “Claude, take Misako, Hilda, and Marianne to hit that smaller bridge. The rest of you are with me, and we’ll spring the trap on the main one. How fast can you cast your magic?” she asked Lorenz and Lysithea.

The younger mage got an eager gleam into her red eyes. “How fast do you need me to cast?” she smiled grimly. 

The larger group moved to the north, while the second one rushed across the ruins to the bridge to the west, which had four men guarding it, two with rusty woodcutting axes, and two with hunting bows.

“I can take out the archers,” whispered Claude where they knelt behind a fallen column about fifty feet away. 

“But not both,” warned Misako. “Just keep ‘em busy and under fire, Boss. Hilda and I can get rid of the fighters, then we’ll take the archers. Marianne, be ready to heal, but stay low and hidden. If you think you have a clear shot, cast a spell.”

“O-okay…”

“I’ll take right,” Misako told Hilda. “Ready?”

“Can we do a war yell? I want to do a war yell,” asked Hilda with a smile.

Misako grinned. “Why not?”

Howling like banshees, Misako leapt over the column and Hilda spun around it, charging the bridge. The archers immediately drew arrows at them, but soon abandoned their aim as they started being sniped by Claude, dropping their arrows in their haste to dodge. A flash of magic nearby made them dive even deeper into cover. The two axe-wielding bandits gripped their weapons, rearing the handles back to swing.

Misako feinted forward, then hopped back at the last moment as the axe cracked into the stone in front of her. In a flash her serrated gauntlets were tearing a mass of wounds all over the hapless bandit’s body, and he soon fell.

Hilda opted for a more direct approach, meeting the bandit's weapon with her own. Her magnificent axe shattered her opponent’s, but the momentum of his rusty axehead still spun ahead, cutting open a jagged line on her face. Growling at the pain, she shifted grips on her axe haft and slammed her axe deep into his shoulder, nearly bisecting his torso. The bandit looked at the short girl in horror as he gave a tiny, mewling gasp before falling backwards, already dead.

The archers scrambled to fire again, but one screamed as an arrow from Claude whistled into his chest as he exposed himself, and the other turned to run away only to be cut down from behind by Misako. She pinned him down with her legs and stabbed the twitching body in the back before looking behind her.

Hilda’s face was a bloody mess, with a long heavy cut from her ear to her mouth bleeding freely. The pinkette dropped her axe and tried to staunch the wound with her hands and was horrified to feel the dangling flaps of parted skin and muscle. Blood ran freely down her neck and her chest, staining her armor and clothing. “Marianne!” Claude called out urgently, running to his classmate’s aid. Marianne rushed at his heels, eager to help.

In short order, Marianne was laying glowing white hands on the softly crying Hilda, who had collapsed on her rump in the middle of the bridge. Claude watched nearby, clutching his bow restlessly.

“Boss,” Misako called softly. “Prof may need us. They’re okay here, but we need to keep moving.”

Claude’s face became grim and dangerous, but he nodded once and said, “Marianne. Hilda. Be on your guard. We’re going on ahead.”

“I-I’ll take good care of her. Trust me,” said Marianne weakly, nodding to them and focusing all of her might on another healing spell on the distraught Hilda.

As if anticipation of their decision, the far side of the ruins rumbled with distant explosions and screams of pain.

Claude and Misako were already running across the bridge in that direction. “Hopefully that’s Lorenz and Lysithea,” he grunted as they moved.

“I’m sure it is,” Misako agreed, then slowed as they rounded a rocky bend in the path, coming upon three confused bandits, one of them a mage wearing ratty brown robes.

Misako didn’t hesitate, charging the closest. It was another brawler, and he tried to get her locked down into a spar so his friend could start casting. She raised her arms as if to block his incoming strike, then ducked low beneath it, almost to a split on the ground, slicing open his exposed kneecap with her gauntlet and severing the patellar tendon. He flopped to the ground with a howl, and she jumped ahead to move past him.

The mage had tried to cast and got an arrow from Claude in the belly for his troubles, but their archer friend was aiming and firing constantly, and her Boss was soon forced back into cover. Misako rushed the bandit blindly, barreling him to the ground. The archer hissed and tried to stab her with an arrow, but while it dug in painfully into her ribs it didn’t penetrate her light armor. She reached up and dragged her wrist blades across his throat, severing the veins and arteries there, and was about to rise from the man when suddenly iron hard arms gripped her from behind.

The grappler had dragged himself with his injured leg to where she had killed his friend and was now trying to break her neck. In raw panic, Misako sawed at his smelly, sweaty arms with her bloodslick blades, cutting deep into tendons and muscles, but his grip refused to weaken. She shut her eyes and ground her teeth together to swallow her scream as her vertebrae started to crack…

The man’s body jumped forward slightly, his grip slackening. Slowly the corpse slid off of her, an arrow in his back on his left side. Misako fell to her knees, gasping for air, feeling her extremities tingling and her neck sore and weak.

“Misako! You okay? Say something!”

She groaned, tried to rise, and stumbled once. Claude reached out and steadied her. “You okay?” he asked again.

“I can finish this,” she blinked her eyes open, meeting his concerned green orbs. She flexed carefully and said, “Thanks for the save, Boss.”

Claude grinned handsomely. “What are friends for?”

Misako had to move more slowly than she would have liked, but they finally came to the small group of arches and ruins where the bandit leader was making his stand. Nearby, they could see the Professor and the rest of the class finishing off the remaining bandits.

Claude had immediately nocked a bead on the ugly, scraggly bearded bandit who was cowering in the small ruined temple. “Hey, I remember you! You were the leader of the bandits who tried to kill me that night!” he laughed upon seeing the man.

“You!?” screamed the ugly bandit, as the Professor, Kyoko and the rest moved within range. “I can’t believe they sent out one of the targets I was supposed to kill to get me! What a lucky break! H-hey! We can cut a deal, right?! I tell you about who hired me, and you let me ‘escape!’ Eh? Eh? Won’t find a better deal, brat!”

“Or here’s the deal,” snapped an irritated Misako. “We beat the shit out of you, take you back to the Church, get your information anyway, then mercy kill you after you’ve begged for death.”

The black beady eyes of the leader settled on her, then he snarled in recognition. “You! I remember you, too! You were one of those slut ninjas that ruined everything that night.”

Kyoko and Leonie inhaled sharply at the opposite end of the ruin.

A pause. “Yeah, I guess I am,” Misako smiled back. “Sorry to spoil your plans. And your boss’ plans. I guess you’re just small potatoes, since you got left here all alone.”

“It was a perfect plan!” screamed the bandit. “We had a hundred men ready to kill just three stupid Cresty nobles! But you fucking whores ruined everything! Goddess-damned bitches! You can sit and spin on every clap-infested Knight for all I care!”

Bored, Misako examined her nails under her gauntlet. “Put an arrow into his knee, Boss. I’d appreciate it.”

Claude grinned. “You got it.” Shifting his aim an inch lower, he let loose.

The bandit howled in agony as the arrow slammed into his quadriceps, causing him to collapse and drop his weapon. He clutched at his wounded leg, cursing and moaning.

“Whoops. Missed,” he apologized.

“Marks deducted,” Misako said reprovingly. 

The Professor trotted up to them, instantly asking, “Hilda and Marianne?”

“Hilda got cut up pretty bad,” Claude told her. “Marianne’s taking care of her, at the western bridge.”

“Leonie! Lysithea!” the Professor called out behind her. “Go assist them immediately!”

“Yes, Professor!” Leonie saluted, but Lysithea, concerned for Hilda, was already running ahead along the trail with her robes flapping around her legs. The hunter was soon right behind her.

Kyoko and Lorenz joined them as they watched the sobbing bandit try to snap off the deeply embedded arrow in his leg and try to crawl away.

“It appears we have secured a prisoner,” Lorenz observed. 

“We sure did,” said Kyoko brightly, looking at Misako. “You did it! Your meditation exercises must be paying off!” she smiled proudly.

Misako turned fierce red eyes to her best friend. “Just make sure I don’t see him ever again. I can’t make any promises he won’t suffer an ‘accident’ in the future.”

The Professor nodded to Misako and Kyoko. “Thank you both,” she intoned quietly. “I’ll need your help in the aftermath, as well. Are you two up for that?”

“We’re up for anything you tell us, Professor,” said Kyoko brightly, slinging an arm around Misako’s shoulders. “You’re a great leader. Don’t sell yourself short!”

Claude noted Lorenz holding his arm somewhat gingerly. “You okay there, Lorenz?”

“A mere lucky strike,” Lorenz grimaced, clutching his arm close to his body. “The Professor has already dealt with the blackguard.”

“Well take off those hot robes and let me see. I think I have a vulnerary in my pack. You can’t take over my position as Head of the Alliance looking like that,” Claude smiled gently.

Lorenz looked at Claude with a shocked expression on his face, then he smiled in return. “No, I suppose not. That would be an absolute breach of decorum.”

* * *


	6. Beast a la Mode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone deals with the aftermath of their first mission.
> 
> Leonie and Marianne deal with their relationship, finally giving it some definition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist. They are so cute together.
> 
> CN/TW: Some non-consensual manhandling, done for comedic effect. Kind of like Caspar/Bernie.

Chapter 6

Beast a la Mode

  
  


Hilda examined herself critically in the hand mirror from her bed in the infirmary.

“I can hardly see it,” Lysithea assured her.

“Definitely! It’s still healing, and we haven’t even put any lotion or cream on it yet!” nodded Kyoko enthusiastically.

“I’m so sorry, Hilda...I did such an awful job…”

“Naw, Marianne, don’t be like that. You saved her face and kept her from bleeding out. Even Professor Manuela thinks so,” said Leonie, hugging the healer tightly around the shoulders.

“You look so badass,” grinned Misako.

“Not helping, Misako,” whispered Kyoko as the others glared at her friend.

“Actually, badass doesn’t sound that awful,” Hilda said with a smile, the long red scar from her ear to the left corner of her mouth making it appear crooked. “Considering I only had half a face when Marianne started healing me, this is a definite improvement. I think you did a great job, sweetie. And this way I can always prove to Holst I was putting in effort!”

Manuela shooed the Golden Deer girls from Hilda’s bedside to administer more Elixir potion to Hilda’s left cheek. “Your darling little classmate did the most wonderful job stitching up your nerves and muscles, dear. Now, I know that scar is distressing, but we’ll hopefully make it fade from ‘badass’ to ‘unnoticeable,’” she said archly to a flushing Misako.

“Where’s Claude and Lorenz?” Hilda asked, determined to put on a brave face.

“They’re with Professor Byleth and the Knights, explaining things about that prisoner we brought in,” supplied Kyoko.

“Professor, do you mind if I stay here in the infirmary with Hilda? Just to...make sure she doesn’t get scared sleeping all by herself while injured!” Lysithea said with remarkable insistence to Manuela.

“As long as you  _ both _ get rest, I don’t mind a bit, dear!” said the physician with an indulgent smile.

The three commoners and Marianne exited the infirmary a short while later, although Marianne was still inconsolable with guilt. Misako was having none of it, talking up her exploits in her first live battle, and explaining how grateful Hilda was in extensive detail. Kyoko lingered behind next to Leonie, who was uncharacteristically dour and tight-lipped after a fight. 

“You should stay with her tonight,” whispered Kyoko to the taller girl as they made their way through the stone halls of Garreg Mach to their dorms. 

“What?! No! No, nuh uh! I’m not gonna take advantage of her like that,” whispered Leonie back to her, scandalized.

Rolling her eyes, Kyoko said, “I’m not saying that! I’m just saying she doesn’t need to be alone tonight. Today’s battle really affected her, and she needs a friend to talk it through. Remember, she’s a noblewoman, so she’s probably never seen a dead body before, aside from her parents.”

That brought the village girl up short. “That’s...gosh, that’s true isn’t it?” murmured Leonie in reflection. “I forget how fancy she grew up sometimes. She sure never acts like it. Never puts on airs at all.”

“That’s because she’s so sweet and sensitive,” assured Kyoko. “But I don’t want her crying all by herself through the whole night alone in her room. You know she’ll do it. Why don’t you get a blanket and pillow from your room, and I’ll get some food from the dining hall? I’ll ask Misako to go ahead and escort her upstairs.”

“That’d be swell of both of you! Thanks!” said Leonie with a wide smile.

Misako was hardly in a position to object to Kyoko’s plan, although she was quickly nearing the limits of her patience in reassuring the sniffling healer. Marianne seemed to reject out of hand that she had made any difference, instead focusing on how she had “ruined Hilda’s life.”

“C’mon, you know that’s not true. I mean, what could you have done differently?” grunted Misako sourly, leading the noblewoman into her own room.

“W-we should have waited for a real healer from the Knights,” sighed Marianne, rubbing her eyes. “Or used a potion instead. Besides, it was my fault Hilda got injured in the first place.”

“Okay, you know what? I gotta stop you right there,” declared Misako with her hands on her hips. “That’s crazy talk. Pure cray. Where’d you possibly get that idea?” 

“I’m just...bad luck,” Marianne whispered, sitting at the edge of her bed. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Would I understand if you explained it to me?” Misako yawned, collapsing in Marianne’s desk chair. Marianne was silent, not looking at her.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” grunted the commoner. “Look, you did fine. You did better than fine. Tomorrow we’ll go see Hilda, and she’ll tell you that you did a great job once again. But don’t make the mistake I’ve been making my whole life.”

The two of them were quiet for several moments, then Marianne hesitantly asked, “What mistake is that?”

“Don’t assume your emotions don’t affect other people,” said Misako quietly. “Because they do. You’re not just making your own life miserable when you do that. Look at me. I was so angry for years. Still am. But I was putting people around me in danger. They’d have to save me from myself, again and again. You don’t want that for anyone else, do you?”

Marianne didn’t respond, and soon it didn’t matter, since at that moment Leonie showed up with a pillow and blanket under her arms. “Heya! How’s it going? I’ll just set my stuff...um, here,” she muttered, blushing as she set her bedding down on the far shelf, then lowering her lanky frame into a free chair nearby.

“What are you doing, Leonie?” asked Marianne curiously.

“Oh! Um, well, heh, ah…” said the older woman, her face matching her hair now.

“Just thought you needed a friend,” muttered Misako under breath, leaning forward.

“Just thought you needed a friend!” stammered Leonie, nodding enthusiastically. “They...I mean, I, that is...thought you didn’t need to be alone tonight. And I’ll just spread my things out on the floor and curl up right to sleep. When it’s time to take you to bed. I mean, time for you to go to bed! And don’t worry about me, that rug looks comfier than some other places I’ve slept, believe you me.” 

Looking back and forth between the embarrassed Leonie and the unapologetic stare of Misako, Marianne eventually settled on, “I see.”

Kyoko burst into the room, kicking the door closed behind her. “Guess what I haaaave?!”

“A neurosis?” quipped Misako.

“Oh be quiet,” said Kyoko absently, displaying the large pan. “Ta-Da! Saghert and Cream! And four spoons for all of us!” She beamed brightly as she set the dessert down onto the table.”

“Really? That’s your favorite, right?” smiled Leonie at Marianne.

Marianne was becoming overwhelmed once again. “How-how can we just do this?! We shouldn’t! Too many horrible things happened today, and all of you are acting like we should just--forget! About everything!” After her outburst, she buried her face in her hands once more, shoulders shaking.

Mouthing “I told you so” to the rest of the group, Kyoko was already taking a bite of the warm cobbler and cream. Misako grabbed her spoon and handed the other two to Leonie. The huntress looked briefly lost, and Misako motioned eating with her hand.

Eventually, Leonie gathered her courage and sat next to Marianne next to the bed. “Hey, Marie. No one’s saying we should forget. We all know there were bad things that happened back at Zanado. What we’re doing is keepin’ on going. We’re alive, and we have to eat some food to stay alive. It  _ was _ horrible. You’re right about that. And we can talk about it if you need to. Right, Kyoko? Misako?”

“Right!” nodded Kyoko, taking another overloaded bite of cream. 

“I mean, I nearly died today,” Misako muttered, digging in with her spoon.

“When were you going to tell me this?!” yelled Kyoko in alarm.

“It wasn’t a big deal! The boss shot the guy off me, and it didn’t happen! So it’s fine now!” said Misako defensively, taking a bite.

“Where’d you get hurt? What happened?” demanded Kyoko, waving her spoon around angrily.

“Uh...this guy nearly broke my neck? But I’m fine! I took a vulnerary, so I’m okay now!”

“We’ll talk later, Em.”

“I had to kill that girl,” sighed Leonie. “Professor Byleth had cut her down, but she was your age, Marie, she was dying...so I just cut her throat. Like a bawlin’ pig. She looked at me and shook her head ‘no, don’t,’ but I still did it.”

“I don’t remember everyone I bashed,” said Kyoko, her face scrunched up in concentration. “It’s weird, right? They were all people, they all had stories and jokes and parents...but I barely even remember killing them, it happened so fast. It’s just certain images. Certain smells.”

“I’d never killed anyone before,” whispered Marianne eventually. “I still don’t want to kill anyone. Not really even...to save my friends. Or myself. It makes me feel awful. I’m so scared it will make me into a monster.” 

“You’ll never be a monster to me,” said Leonie almost angrily, grabbing her shoulder. “Understand me? Never. No matter what.”

Marianne simply hugged Leonie tight, quietly sobbing, while the archer held her close. Nodding to each other, Misako and Kyoko ducked out of Marianne’s room, leaving behind a half-full platter of cobbler for their two classmates.

Outside, Kyoko licked her spoon clean and pocketed it. “Poor Marianne. She really doesn’t belong here, does she?”

“No, but there’s something else going on with her. Couldn’t really put a finger on it though,” Misako said distractedly.

“Wonder if the Boss is in?”

“Guess we should check,” shrugged Misako. They wandered down the nobles’ dormitory hall, eventually knocking on Claude’s door.

Their House Leader looked as if he had seen better days when he opened his door. “Oh. Hey girls. ‘Sup?” he yawned, rubbing at the bags under his eyes.

“Sorry, Boss, just checking in before bed,” said Misako. “Everyone’s settled in as much as possible, I guess. Leonie’s staying with Marianne, and Lysithea got a cot next to Hilda in the infirmary.”

“Shit, Hilda! Damn it, with all the debriefings and meetings and stuff I forgot to check on her. How is she?” asked Claude with worry.

“She looks like someone you don’t wanna fuck with now,” nodded Misako firmly.

“Marianne did an awesome job,” said Kyoko, glaring at her friend. “Just a single scar. Even Professor Manuela thought so.”

“That’s a relief. Maybe Duke Holst won’t turn me into a pretzel at the next Roundtable meeting, dip me in mustard and then eat me.”

“Any news about that guy we brought in?” Misako asked.

“Oh, Seteth was  _ delighted _ to have a prisoner,” Claude said gleefully. “About the only good thing from that debacle. Hopefully we’ll get some kind of reward out of it. Teach was going to talk to their dad about it, too. Apparently something big’s coming down, because the Knights are all being tight-lipped and serious.”

“Do we have class tomorrow? I think some of us need some leave after that mission,” Kyoko whined.

“Teach said no class for the next two days,” Claude yawned again. “That sound good?”

“Boss. That sounds  _ great _ ,” smiled Misako.

The two girls left their House Leader, slowly walking back to their own dorms, the fatigue of the battle and the long day catching up to them.

“I still can’t believe you weren’t going to tell me you nearly got yourself killed,” grumped Kyoko.

“I was,” said Misako defensively. “But then Prof wanted us to be all strong and hardass for the rest of the class. And she was right, that’s what they needed then. I mean, who was fucking expecting to kill fucking kids and old women? The Church just said, ‘kill bandits,’ not ‘bandits and their entire families too.’”

“I know,” said Kyoko softly. “That was fucked up. Even the Prof thought so, though she didn’t show it.”

They were quiet as they walked the garden path to their dormitories, then Misako said quietly, “If you want to stay with me tonight...well, I won’t say no.”

Kyoko smiled at Misako, who was refusing to look at her. “Really?” she said neutrally. Too neutrally.

“Don’t read too much into it, okay! I just...want to make sure you get some sleep tonight,” said Misako, faint color on her cheeks.

Kyoko smiled lightly at the evasiveness. “I’ll change and meet you there!”

A short while later, Kyoko opened Misako’s dim dorm room, where only a single short candle was burning. Misako was already dressed for bed in her boy shorts and shirt, her armor and uniform discarded all over the floor. Kyoko moved to the bed but stopped to stare at an item on Misako’s desk.

“What’re you doing? C’mon and hop in,” mumbled Misako tiredly.

“The flowers,” said Kyoko slowly, indicating the vase on Misako’s desk. They were still slightly fresh, despite being picked more than a week ago.

“Hmm? Oh yeah. They’re finally dying, but they made the room smell nice,” her friend sleepily explained.

“You kept them,” said Kyoko, as if it were a question.

“Of course I kept them. You’re my best bud. Now get under the covers, you’re being all weird and sappy. It’s been a long day for both of us.”

Kyoko was quiet, but obligingly got under the covers, with Misako holding her tight from behind as they settled into bed. As the candle gutted out, she stared at the withering flowers she had given Misako in the mountains for the longest time before falling asleep. 

* * *

Kyoko woke in the morning, with something tugging her hair, along with a warm hand cupping her chest. Which was not helping her feelings of unrequited love at  _ all _ .

She threw aside the covers and Misako’s arm and tried to get up at the edge of the bed, but her hair was stuck. “Misako?” she grumbled sleepily, managing to twist around to see her friend with a mouthful of orange locks, masticating her hair.

“Ew! Misako, wake up! Stop it!”

“Mmph?” mumbled Misako, her eyes closed and still chewing.

With a smack, Kyoko roused her friend and managed to extract her wet and sticky hair from Misako’s hungry mouth.

“Ow! What the hell, Kyoko!? Bleh! What’s in--?” started Misako, then clapped a hand over mouth, mortified.

“You were eating my hair! Again! This is why I want to be the big spoon when we cuddle!” said Kyoko, folding her arms angrily.

“Oh Goddess. I need to wash my mouth,” said Misako, turning pale.

“How do you think I feel about my  _ hair _ ?”

* * *

Marianne slowly woke to sunshafts in her room, still in her academy light armored uniform, her ear resting on something warm and firm. Someone was humming slightly, lightly stroking her hair.

Leonie. The village commoner was sitting cross legged in her bed, her back leaning on her pillow against the wall. Somehow Marianne had curled up next to her and had been using her thigh as bedding.

“Leonie?” she whispered, confused.

“Oh, hey,” Leonie smiled, slight circles under her orange eyes. “Good morning. Sleep okay?”

“Yes...but didn’t you sleep? Have you been up all night?” Marianne said, concerned.

“Psh, don’t worry about me. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t have nightmares. Do you want any of that cobbler from last night? We didn’t get a chance to eat anything before you fell asleep…”

“You shouldn’t have done that!” said Marianne in a firm voice, sitting up. “You need to take care of yourself too! You’ve been up for almost two days by this point!”

“I told you, don’t worry about me. You’ve been through a whole lot, and I wanted to make sure you were feeling better,” protested Leonie.

Marianne couldn’t argue anymore. Looking at her lap, and her useless, monstrous hands, she whispered sadly, “Why are you like this?”

“Like what?” said the commoner, bewildered and sounding hurt.

“You’re so nice to me. I don’t deserve it.”

“You deserve the world!”

Marianne looked up and shrank away from the looming form of an angry Leonie sitting on her knees above her, shaking a finger at her.

“Now see here, Miss Marianne von Edmund, I don’t know what it is that made you so down on yourself, but it’s a pile of manure bigger than the Alliance! You’re the prettiest, sweetest, most honest girl I know, and everyone in the Golden Deer loves you except yourself! I don’t get it! The more we tell you you’re great and people admire you the worse you get! Well I’m sick and tired of it, because it’s my job to protect you and that includes from your own foolish thinkin’ about yourself! You have come so far and you are worthy of love and respect! 

“But why?” asked Marianne helplessly. “Why do you care so much?”

Her answer came when Leonie leaned her head forward and pressed her lips against hers.

Marianne froze.

Backing away when she did not feel a response, Leonie leaned away and whispered, “Don’t you get it? I like you! I really do.”

Marianne just stared at her with wide, fearful brown eyes, her lips still parted from the kiss.

With that admission the fire went out of Leonie, and she became embarrassed, moving away from the noblewoman to sit in the chair nearby. She looked at the floor and slowly said, “I’m sorry. That was out of line for me. I just...I knew really liked you, ever since that first day when we had that dinner. And I know I’m a commoner from the sticks and you’re a fancy noble, the daughter of Margrave Edmund. I kinda knew it was never gonna happen and nothin’ would come of it. But you were just so beautiful and kind, and you liked horses even better than I did. And you’re so talented! You can cast anima and all that, stuff that I could never do. I dunno what I wanted, really. Maybe just to see you smile again. I thought that was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen.” Leonie stood abruptly, still refusing to look at her. “Anyway. You’re probably disgusted with me and hate me. I won’t hold it against you. Don’t worry about me. Just a stupid commoner from a two cattle town. I’ll leave you be from now on, don’t you worry about that.”

Before Marianne could rally herself to move or speak, the huntress had already walked past the bed, exiting her room and closing the door gently, the tread of her boots quickly fading down the hall.

Her heart twisting inside of her, Marianne turned her head and saw Leonie’s pillow still on her bed. She reached out and hugged it tightly to her, pretending it was her friend, regretting her foolish hesitation, her all-consuming dread. She could never do anything right and always ruined everything around herself. It was the nature of her unholy curse.

“Oh Leonie...I really like you too. I was just too afraid to say it,” Marianne whispered into the cloth, her tears staining the fabric.

* * *

When Kyoko and Misako visited Hilda in the infirmary in the late afternoon after training in the Knight’s Hall, they found Claude, Lorenz and the Professor already there, along with Lysithea who was reading an Advanced Anima textbook for the third time in the cot next to her.

Hilda was due to be discharged today, her facial scar reduced to a thin white line, and she was busy with a small writing desk in her lap, busy with a letter to her older brother.

“I’ve already written two pages telling him I’m okay. I think that’s a good amount. One’s not enough and three is too much, ‘cause then he’ll worry I’m hiding something, but two should be a happy medium,” smiled Hilda, starting on a new page. “Next up is telling him how well Lady Marianne von Edmund healed me, so he remembers to thank the Margrave at the next Roundtable Conference. Speaking of which, has anyone seen Marianne or Leonie recently?” 

“We left them together in Marianne’s room the night we returned. Other than that, not sure,” said Misako.

“Oh my gosh! So cute! I do hope something comes out of that. Our two horse girls, finding true love together!” sighed Hilda dreamily.

“It’s about time,” snarked Lysithea by her bedside, thumping her textbook closed. “They’ve been mooning at each other since day one of school. Frankly I was getting sick of it. Hopefully this will improve their attitudes and performance on the field.”

“Why would spending the night with someone improve that?” asked Professor Byleth curiously.

There were an assortment of snorts and giggles, and Claude finally managed, “Ah, just trust us, Teach. It just does.”

Byleth shrugged. “I’ll take your word for it.”

Lorenz was frowning slightly. “I do hope it does not end in heartbreak. We are all equals here in Garreg Mach, but outside of the Church, the boundaries and expectations between noble and commoner are very real. That would put a great deal of strain on their relationship.”

“Then that should lead to an easy solution,” said Hilda absently, starting a new paragraph.

“Which is?” Lorenz huffed in disdain.

“They don’t ever need to leave the Church! Duh! You said it yourself. I think Marianne would make a wonderful Priest, and Leonie could be her Knight of Seiros escort! Gosh, that’d be so romantic. Don’t you agree?”

Further discussion was halted by the sudden arrival of Headmaster Seteth in the infirmary, looking somewhat frazzled. “Ah, Professor. I should have expected you here with your students. I must ask for you to come with me at once.”

Byleth stood from her chair. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s one of your students. Leonie.”

* * *

By the time they got to the docks, Leonie was hard at work finishing her third full basket of fish and a crowd of students had gathered to watch. The cafeteria staff and Seteth’s little sister, Flayn, were delighted with the bounty. Caspar was enthusiastically helping the slight grass haired girl carry the heavy loads up to the kitchens to be cleaned and prepared for tonight’s meal.

“Excuse me,” said Byleth, moving some Blue Lion and Black Eagle students aside, with the rest of the Deer at her heels.

“Oh, Professor! Did something happen to Leonie?” asked Ashe, his face boyishly curious.

“I was intending to work in the greenhouses today, but they have already been watered and weeded by her,” said Dedue quietly.

Ferdinand overhead and added, “And I had stable duty, yet the stables had already been swept and all of the horses and pegasi had been fed and watered and groomed! All that was left for me to do was to exercise them. While I appreciate the kindness, I admit I am unsure of its motives.”

“She also disturbed my naptime by cleaning and dusting the entire library,” yawned Linhardt without covering his mouth. “It was terribly rude.”

Eventually the Deer shouldered past the rest of the students and stood on the docks, watching Leonie haul in another White Trout, wrapping the line around her archery bracer as she dragged the struggling fish up onto the dock. With a quick blow she stunned it, then unhooked it from the line and tossed it into her fourth basket. She then baited the line once more, the motions mechanical and precise.

“Uh, heya, Leonie! What’s going on?” Claude called out, rubbing his hand on his neck.

Pausing in her cast, Leonie turned around, worn dark circles under her bloodshot orange eyes. “Hey guys! The fishing here is great! Need a pole and a line? I still have some bait in the bucket, here…”

“Leonie? Have you slept, like at all?” Hilda asked worriedly.

“Sleep? Pshaw. Who needs it? There’s too much to be done!” scoffed Leonie, swaying slightly on her feet. “I was going to finish this fourth basket here, then get started on repairing all the weapons in the training hall. Hey! Do any of you guys need your rooms cleaned? I could do that, as well.”

Professor Byleth marched up and unclenched the rod from Leonie’s stiff fingers. “I’ll do your fishing for you, Leonie. Why don’t you go with Misako and Kyoko and get some sleep?”

“I told you, I don’t need sleep! Captain Jeralt’s soldiers don’t need sleep!” Leonie sounded mulish.

“Then that’s an order, cadet.”

Misako and Kyoko looked at each other glumly and stepped forward, managing to subdue the exhausted and shaking Leonie in short order. They soon had her frog marching back to their rooms on the far side of the monastery, although she loudly protested the entire way.

“Oh, man,” groaned Claude, hearing Leonie’s shouts fade into the distance. “Whaddya think happened?”

“They must’ve had a lover’s spat or something,” sighed Lysithea. 

“Wait a moment...does this mean Lady Marianne has been alone in her room this entire time?” Lorenz asked.

“Oh no, he’s right! C’mon, Lysithea, follow me!” cried Hilda, and they ran past the milling students to run up the stairs to the second floor dorms, Claude and Lorenz at their heels. Quickly they knocked loudly on Marianne’s door.

“Marianne? Are you in there? Open up, Leonie needs you!” Claude yelled.

There was a muffled noise within, then the door creaked open. Marianne slowly peeked out from the portal. Her face was puffy and red from crying, and her hair was down and in tangles. “She doesn’t need someone like me. It’s for the best this way. All I would do is drag her down,” she whispered to them.

“We know something’s wrong. Leonie’s upset, and you look terrible. Tell me what happened, Marianne,” Hilda demanded, taking charge of the situation.

Marianne looked to the floor. “She kissed me.”

“And?” prompted Claude.

“She told me she liked me.”

“And?” Hilda encouraged.

“I...I didn’t say anything. It all happened so fast. She then said she wasn’t good enough for me and left before I could think of something to say.”

“Oh Goddess,” groaned Lorenz in despair, putting his face into his hands.

Their youngest classmate shoved the door open and marched into Marianne’s face...figuratively. She was still half a foot shorter. Ignoring that, Lysithea shook a pale white finger at Marianne’s nose as she flinched. “Do you like Leonie, Marianne? Yes or no? Because she hasn’t slept since you last saw her, and she’s been manically doing every chore in the monastery since then,” Lysithea told her.

“But I asked her to rest and take care of herself!” replied Marianne, horrified.

“Well, she’s  _ not _ . She’s falling apart without you,” huffed the albino with a wag of her head.

“B-but...there’s nothing I can  _ do _ . It’ll never work out…”

Hilda clapped her hands together decisively. “Okay, you’re coming with us, Marianne. Lorenz, Claude? Grab her.”

* * *

While they barred the door, Misako and Kyoko watched Leonie pace like a caged lion in her room, muttering to herself and not making much sense.

“Look, if you can’t sleep, maybe do some schoolwork? Reading?” Kyoko suggested, tossing her ponytail behind her head.

“We don’t have class until tomorrow,” muttered Leonie feverishly. “I can’t just sit here. There’s too much to be done. I can’t just sit still when there’s work to do.”

“What happened with Marianne?” Misako said bluntly.

Leonie threw up her hands as she kept pacing. “Nothing! Nothing happened. Nothing’s gonna happen. Nothing to do about it. She’s just too fancy for me. I knew it was stupid. Or she figured out I was stupid. One or the other. I set my sights too high. Pretty noble girl like that, what was I thinking? Stupid. Stupid!”

“That’s bullshit and you know it. You two have been tied to the hip ever since school began. She adores you. We all can see it,” Misako declared, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah! I mean, maybe you just had a misunderstanding? Both of you were super tired and she was feeling really down about herself. Maybe it was just bad timing! And that’s totally on me, it was my idea!” said Kyoko quickly. “Just tell her that and she’ll get it!”

“I just...I just don’t know how to act around girls, I guess,” mumbled Leonie to herself, still pacing. “Couldn’t read a sign even if it was painted on a barn. Never knew if a girl felt the way I did, and I always made a fool outta myself every time.” She raised her exhausted eyes up to her classmates. “I mean, how did you two get together? I bet y’all had a bumpy road, am I right?”

Misako instantly turned tomato-red beneath her dark hair, and Kyoko laughed it off and slung an arm over her friend’s shoulders. “Yep! Preeee-ty bump-y! But Em here eventually fell for my womanly charms one sweet shining night when the moon was high in the sky…it was so romantic...”

“Kyoko, I’m going to murder you,” whispered Misako under her breath. Kyoko’s arm just tightened around her neck.

Leonie said with a faint smile, “Gosh. The two of you are so lucky. I just wish..”

Whatever else the hunter was about to say was interrupted by rapid knocking, followed by the door being slammed open. Lorenz and Claude carried in a terrified Marianne by the elbows, depositing her in front of Misako and Kyoko. Hilda stepped forward.

“Okay! Anyone not named Leonie or Marianne, out of the room!” she said brightly.

“What did you do to her?” snarled Leonie.

Hilda was unfazed and unintimidated as she stared the tall girl down. “We brought her here to talk to you! I think that needs to happen. This is getting closure, one way or another, because the class simply won’t be able to function otherwise! Good luck to both of you!” WIth pink wink and a crooked smile to both of them, Hilda exited the room with the rest of the class, slamming the door shut behind them.

“Are you okay, Marie? They didn’t hurt you did they? C’mon, tell me!” Leonie said urgently, checking her over.

“N-no...um...they brought me here...so we could...talk about the other night,” Marianne stammered, her brain still catching up with the flurry of events.

Leonie’s face clouded over. “They’re being busybodies nosin’ in our business. It was fine. I’m fine. You’re fine. They should’ve butted out.”

“But everyone is so worried about you,” said Marianne in a stronger voice, her wide brown eyes full of concern. “So am I! I mean, look at you! You’re not taking care of yourself. I don’t want you feeling like that because of me.”

A scoff. “I’m a big girl, I don’t need to be put to bed.”

“Have you even eaten recently? Or had any water?” Marianne worried. Casting about the room, she eventually found Leonie’s water pitcher and clumsily filled a cup with some water, spilling some. “Here...drink up, you’ll feel better. You’re probably dehydrated…”

“Not thirsty,” grunted Leonie. She took the cup anyway, and sat on her bare bed.

Bare, Marianne realized.  _ That’s right, all her blankets and pillow are still in my room _ . “You need your bedding to sleep…”

“I’ll get it,” said the hunter, taking a slow sip, then draining the cup. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

“But I want to!”

Leonie squinted her bloodshot eyes at her. “Why? You don’t owe me anything. I told you that.”

“Well, it’s because, um…” Marianne swallowed, closing her eyes and clenching her fists. “I like you too.”

The ceramic cup shattered when it hit the floor. Marianne jumped at the sound, seeing Leonie shocked into silence, her jaw hanging open. But she gathered her courage and plunged ahead.

“I’m sorry I got...scared. When you kissed me. I’ve never been kissed before,” Marianne whispered, shyly averting her face. “Not like that.”

“Damn...and then I just ran my fool mouth,” Leonie chuckled after a pause. “I didn’t even wait for you to say anything.”

Marianne smiled slightly. “No, you didn’t. I like that about you, though. You just charge ahead and it makes it easy to just...follow you. But maybe not in that case. Forgive me, I was so surprised and nervous, I couldn’t think of what to do.”

The commoner laughed outright appreciatively. “I guess I was surprised too. Not used to my kisses having that effect.”

“I thought it was a very good kiss!” sputtered Marianne. But Leonie’s laughter was infectious. Soon, she was giggling along with her, the tension draining away from both of them

Calming down, Leonie started first. “So…” she said hesitantly. “You sure you don’t mind...me? I mean, I sorta caused this whole mess…”

“I don’t mind you at all,” said Marianne with an earnest smile, finally feeling at ease. “You’re so strong and supportive, and you can do so many things I can never do. Even now, you kept on working and being helpful while all I did was sit on my bed and cry. I don’t care if you’re a commoner. That’s never mattered to me.” Blushing, Marianne also murmured, “You’re also really tall and handsome, too. And funny. You’ve always made me smile. So I don’t want to stop being friends. I’d miss your hugs. And sitting next to you in class.” Then she hesitated. “But you should know...there’s something terrible about me. Something horrible, and I’m afraid it will someday come between us….”

“I won’t let it!” said Leonie, standing up and clenching her fists. “It’s some noble thing, isn’t it? Well, no one I know would care two figs about that! I sure don’t. You’d be welcome in any village in Fodlan as a doctor, Marie. You’ve got a gift. Me, all I can do is hunt and fish and shoot some arrows.”

Marianne turned pale. “You...you shouldn’t say that…you don’t know what you’re getting into.”

“Then tell me, Marie! What’s got you so scared? If it’s not me and it’s not yourself?” asked Leonie desperately.

Slowly, the healer sat in Leonie’s desk chair, wringing her hands, while Leonie gazed fixedly at her. Finally, after a pregnant pause, she whispered, “I carry the Crest of the Beast.”

Leonie stared at her.

Covering her face, Marianne said, “I know...this makes me a monster in your eyes. And you’re disgusted with me now. It’s because of my cursed blood that my parents vanished...and it causes misfortune in anyone who comes near me, like Hilda…”

“I’ve never heard of that Crest,” Leonie announced, interrupting her. “Is that bad? Is that why you think you’re a monster? Just because it’s called the Beast? That’s honestly the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s true,” said Marianne, looking up and almost sounding offended. “It carries a terrible curse. And I don’t want that for you.”

“Don’t I get any say in that decision?” said Leonie in a low voice. “What if I want to share whatever your curse is? Then you wouldn’t have to be so alone.”

“You’d do that? For me?” Marianne asked, her brown eyes wide.

Her boots crunching the shards of ceramic on the floor, Leonie got up and knelt next to Marianne’s chair. Holding her hands, Leonie whispered, “I’d do just about anything for you. You know that, right? I don’t know anything about curses or Crests. But I hate to see you so sad. It’s breaking my heart, Marie.”

“Oh Leonie…” Marianne said softly. Remembering what Misako said, she continued, “I’m sorry I made you sad too. I didn’t want that to happen. I’m sorry I’m so afraid. I wish I was brave like you.”

Rubbing Marianne’s fingers, Leonie said, “I think you are. You didn’t want to come here. You don’t want to fight or kill. But you’re stepping up and being a part of the team just the same. I don’t care what anyone else says or what you think about yourself. I  _ know _ you’re a brave person. I just know it.”

Marianne averted her face, biting her lip.

“Marie? Are you all right?” Leonie squeezed her hands, gently. “C’mon, you can tell me.”

“Um, Leonie...?”

“Yeah?”

“If you really don’t mind it, then...can you kiss me again?” Marianne was now blushing furiously. “I would really like that.”

“Um...Holy Seiros,” Leonie blinked and swallowed hard. “Yeah...yeah, I can definitely do that.” On her knees, Leonie for once was shorter than Marianne. Slowly, carefully, she raised her hand behind Marianne’s head and lowered the healer’s pale lips to her own.

It began softly, and they started by simply tasting each other slowly, until Leonie gently parted Marianne’s mouth, seeking permission. WIth a sharp inhalation, the noblewoman yielded, and soon was bringing her free hand to grab the back of Leonie’s neck with surprising strength, deepening the kiss.

It was a new experience for both of them, and threatened to go on for some time...until Marianne fell out of her chair.

Fortunately, Leonie was there to catch her.

* * *

“They’ve been in there a while,” whispered Kyoko. They had been waiting patiently outside Leonie’s door for some time now as the afternoon stretched into evening.

“That’s a  _ good _ thing,” nodded Hilda sagely.

“So...we can leave now, right? There’s no need to be creeping outside Leonie’s door anymore if they’ve been in there for two whole hours,” Claude said.

“Typical commitment from Claude. Although...he does have a point, Hilda,” Lysithea muttered.

“Finally. There’s no need to humiliate them. They’re together now, yay, wave the flag,” said Misako sarcastically. “Y’all are just gonna embarrass Marianne at this point.”

Kyoko turned around and looked carefully at her friend. “You did not.”

Misako sweated as she noticed everyone’s attention on her. “I did not what? Why are all of you being so weird?”

“She did not even notice,” Lorenz observed slyly with a chuckle.

“Oh my Goddess, that was so darling! Don’t worry your pretty little head Misako, we won’t want to stop it from happening in the future!” giggled Hilda.

“What did I  _ say _ ?” demanded Misako to the snickering group.

Further teasing came to a halt when Professor Byleth joined them. “Is Leonie in bed? Why is everyone waiting outside her door?” the former mercenary asked.

“Merely seeing if Marianne and Leonie are making nice again,” Claude said with a wink.

“Is that what they call it these days?” laughed Kyoko.

“They’re making something all right,” said Misako with a grin.

“Up? They’re making up, right?” said Hilda with false innocence.

“Or out,” chortled Lorenz.

“Or whoopee,” sniggered Claude along with him.

“Claude, that sounds like something your  _ grandfather _ would no longer say because it’s so old-fashioned,” said Lysithea critically.

“Is that what they’re doing?” asked Professor Byleth in confusion, looking from face to face.

Kyoko guffawed outright. “Goddess, we hope so! Saints know they both need it.” 

Shaking her head, Professor Byleth turned and walked up to Leonie’s door and knocked loudly three times. “Leonie! Stop making whoopee with Marianne and get some sleep! Both of you better be awake and alert tomorrow in class!” the Professor shouted in a voice that could be heard back at the greenhouses. She then went into her own room next door and locked the door.

“Aaaaand I’m gonna go wash dishes in the dining hall,” said Misako, embarrassed by proxy as heads all over the monastery were turning in their direction. Kyoko was nowhere in sight, having already fled, the traitor. Lysithea, Hilda and Lorenz were already stiffly speed walking away in the opposite direction, not wanting to be seen outside the door any longer.

“You know what? I think I’ll join you,” said Claude, hopping up from the bench.

“To wash dishes?”

“Of course not. But I’m not hanging around here and catching an arrow from Leonie.”

* * *

Not even Professor Byleth’s knocks and shouting could rouse Leonie from her exhausted embrace in Marianne’s arms. The noblewoman barely acknowledged them herself, anyway, because she felt so comfortable lying back on her friend’s bed, the huntress cuddled against her chest like an overgrown child. She was endlessly fascinated with the tall, strong commoner who had strode into Marianne’s cursed life and claimed a stake in it, amazed that her life had taken such a turn.

Normally people were so confusing. Marianne didn’t know how to talk to them, because explaining the way she was was impossible and would just lead to trouble. It was easier to be silent and awkward and strange, and retreat to the company of the horses in the stables. Eventually people would leave her alone, and Marianne thought she preferred that.

Leonie didn’t care about any of it, however. She called herself simple and stupid, but Marianne knew she was anything but. Leonie was just...direct. She saw what she wanted, proclaimed that as her goal, then pursued it doggedly and tirelessly. As opposed to herself, thought Marianne bitterly, a spoiled noble who couldn’t even decide whether she wanted to live or die.

But this older commoner was such a contradiction with how she acted with her. She acted brash and confident, but then she treated Marianne like the most fragile glass. She presented such a hard front and personality to everyone else, but her kisses were small and hesitant, and her chapped lips were so soft and yielding. It made Marianne feel...in control, and powerful, and brave, over a woman that could have dominated her so effortlessly.

Yet Leonie had submitted to her, so much that Marianne asserted herself as they kissed when they fell upon the bed. She had consented before Marianne’s insistence on kissing and teasing her neck, or biting her ear, her mouth letting out quiet, whining gasps and sounds. Finally, in between slower intermittent return kisses, the exhausted huntress cuddled up against her chest as if she was the last thing in the world, falling into a tired and happy slumber. And now they were on this bare mattress, with not even a cover besides each other’s body.

She had called Marianne beautiful. And Marianne found herself believing her.

She didn’t want to overanalyze what she was feeling right now as she stroked her classmate’s short hair. Her Lord Father would probably be furious. It would be a scandal of epic proportions in the Alliance if the newest Roundtable Lord was rendered heirless at a stroke, simply because his daughter ran off with a commoner. A female commoner, no less. The forbidden idea was almost impossibly thrilling. She could just...walk away from her Crest and status and all the implications it carried. Against all odds, she had found someone who didn’t care about her cursed noble blood. She had never thought of that possibility before, feeling trapped by her stepfather’s and society’s expectations for a noblewoman to be meek, to be appealing, to be marriageable, to be  _ fertile _ .

Instead of being a black, confining prison, her future suddenly seemed bright and limitless, filled with endless opportunities for just the two of them. Leonie was snoring into her chest, appearing so impossibly endearing that Marianne had to resist from waking her sweet commoner again for another kiss just for the sheer happiness of it. Leonie had told her she deserved the world. And then she had given it to her, even after Marianne had nearly ruined everything yet again with her awkward, nervous silences.

Marianne dozed off with a contented smile, with her girlfriend cuddled close to her, while she wondered what Sauin village was like. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe updating next week. I tried for a monday/friday update schedule, but I'm trying to work on my magnum opus legendary epic, Golden Chimera.
> 
> Still, the writing bug has bitten me again, so rejoice my minions!
> 
> Next chapter is "Lord Lonato." But maybe not the Lord Lonato we know from canon...
> 
> Everyone stay healthy and safe and keep making whoopee!

**Author's Note:**

> Kyoko - D+ in Axes, D+ Fists Special: Kleptomaniac. If an enemy unit has a droppable item, Kyoko does +5 damage.
> 
> Misako - C in Fists, E+ in Axes Special: Bully the Bullies If an adjacent ally takes damage, Misako gains +4 Str/Dex/Spd/Def for the rest of the turn.


End file.
